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LIBRARY 

5Ht^olo0ifal  ^cmittary, 

FJUNCETOy,  X.  J 

No.  Case,  j i — i-_-j 

No.  Shelf,  -4--— 7 - 

No.  Book, -L'_- 




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Sept:  1839  ^ 


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A VIEW 


JHE  PRESENT  STATE  i, 


OF  THE 


AFRICAN  SLAVE  TRABE. 


PUBLISHED  BY  DIRECTION  OF  A MEETING 


KEPRESENTING  THE 


RELIGIOUS  SOCIETY  OF  FRIEJVDS 


IN 


PENNSYLVANIA,  NEW-JERSEY,  &c. 


PHILADELPHIA 

IrVillitm  Brown,  Prlntcrt 


A VIEW,  ^c. 


AMONG  the  various  calamities  which  flow  from  the  am- 
bition and  cupidity  of  man,  there  are  few  productive  of  more 
extensive  and  distressing  evils,  or  which  give  rise  to  greater 
degrees  of  human  misery  and  wretchedness — none  that  oc- 
casion a more  barbarous  destruction  of  the  species,  or  which 
in  their  general  tendency  are  more  inimical  to  the  peace, 
the  happiness  and  moral  rectitude  of  a large  portion  of  man- 
kind, than  the  African  Slave  Trade.  When  we  contemplate 
the  long  train  of  cruelties  which  are  inflicted  upon  the  un- 
offending negroes,  from  the  time  they  are  kidnapped  in  Af- 
rica arxl  dragged  away  from  their  homes  to  the  slave  ships, 
till  their  arrival  at  the  place  of  their  destination,  and  reflect 
that  they  are  men — that  the  universal  parent  is  just  and 
equal  in  all  his  ways — regards  all  the  human  family  with  the 
same  tenderness  and  compassion,  and  designs  the  happi- 
ness of  all — we  must  surely  be  forcibly  and  fearfully  im- 
pressed with  the  crying  wickedness,  the  injustice  and  inhu- 
manity, of  this  abominable  traffic. 

It  is  greatly  to  be  regretted,  that  among  ill  the  benevolent 
and  laudable  exertions  for  meliorating  the  condidon  of  man 
which  characterize  the  present  day,  so  little  has  been  done, 
or  is  now  doing,  towards  informing  the  public  mind  in  this 
country,  upon  the  subject  of  this  nefarious  and  cruel  occupa- 
tion. 

The  citizens  of  many  sections  of  our  country,  are  not  only 
unacquainted  with  the  barbarities  and  innumerable  evils 
which  are  its  inseparable  concomitants,  but  are  in  some  parts 
almost  wholly  ignorant  of  the  present  existence  of  the  Slave 
Trade.  To  this  cause  we  may  probably  attribute  the  apathy 
and  indifference,  which  too  generally  pervades  the  United 
States  upon  this  momentous  subject.  For  it  can  scarcely  be 
imagined  that  in  a land  where  light  and  knowledge  have 
been  so  eminently  diffused,  we  can  be  so  devoid  of  the  ten- 
der feelings  of  human  nature — so  insensible  of  the  principles 
of  righteousness  and  justice,  as  to  read  the  melancholy  r6- 


4 


cital  of  the  woes  and  the  wrongs  which  the  negroes  endure, 
without  being  awakened  to  a sense  of  the  imperious  duty 
^vhich  rests  upon  every  Cliristian,  to  use  all  proper  exertions 
for  averting  the  progress  of  this  desolating  evil. 

A successful  means  for  aiding  this  very  desirable  object, 
appears  to  be  the  circulation  of  tracts  containing  details  of  • 
the  various  scenes  of  cruelty  attendant  on  the  several  stages 
of  this  horrid  business,  from  the  stealing  in  Africa,  the  jour- 
ney to  the  sea  shore,  the  sufferings  and  dreadful  monality 
of  the  voyage,  till  they  at  last  enter  upon  a hopeless,  an  in- 
terminable exile  in  a foreign  land. 

We  rejoice  in  the  persuasion,  that  the  real  character  and 
effects  of  the  slave  trade  as  it  now  exists,  need  only  to  be 
published  through  our  countrv,  to  raise  one  general  feeling 
of  abhorrence,  and  to  arouse  men  of  liberal  and  enlightened 
minds,  to  devote  their  time  and  talents  in  procuring  the  abo- 
lition of  a traffic  replete  with  the  deepest  guilt  in  its  prose- 
cution, and  whose  design  is  the  unconditional  and  cruel 
bondage  of  thousands  of  rational  beings,  equally  entitled 
with  ourselves  to  the  enjoyment  of  all  the  blessings,  the 
comforts  and  the  privileges  of  life. 

The  measures  which  have  been  adopted  within  the  last 
thirty  years  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade  would  fur- 
nish matter  to  compose  a volume ; but  it  may  be  sufficient 
to  enumerate  the  principal  laws  which  have  been  enacted 
by  the  different  Governments  for  that  object,  before  we  en- 
ter upon  a view  of  the  present  state  of  the  traffic,  and  the  ac- 
cumulated horrors  which  accompany  it. 

In  the  year  1794,  the  American  Congress  passed  an  act 
prohibiting  the  citizens  of  the  United  States,  or  any  person 
residing  therein,  from  carrying  on  a trade  or  traffic  in  slaves 
to  any  foreign  country,  or  from  procuring  the  inhabitants  of 
any  foreign  kingdom  or  country,  to  be  transported  to  any 
foreign  country,  &c.  to  be  disposed  of  as  slaves.  In  1798  a 
law  was  enacted,  forbidding  under  severe  penalties  the  in- 
troduction of  slaves  into  the  Mississippi  Territor)',  to  which 
the  constitutional  provision  did  not  extend.  In  1800,  a law 
was  enacted  prohibiting  citizens  of  the  United  States  froni 
holding  any  property  in  vessels  used  in  transporting  slaves 
from  one  foreign  country  to  another,  or  serving  either  on 
board  vessels  of  the  United  States,  or  others  engaged  in 
such  foreign  trade ; anrl  United  States  armed  ships  were 
authorized  to  seize  vessels  and  crews  employed  contrary  to 
this  act.  In  1803,  a law  was  enacted  disallowing  masters  of 
vessels  to  bring  into  any  port,  where  the  state  laws  prohi- 
bited the  importation,  any  person  of  colour,  not  a native,  a 


5 


citizen  or  registered  seaman  of  the  United  States.  In  1807, 
a law  was  passed  totally  abolishing  the  slave  trade  within 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States,  to  take  effect  on  the 
first  day  of  the  next  year,  the  earliest  period  at  which  such  a 
law  could  be  enforced  consistently  with  the  constitutional  re- 
striction. And  the  President  was  authorized  to  instruct  the 
commanders  of  armed  ships,  to  bring  in  vessels  found  on 
the  high  seas  contravening  this  act.  Several  additions  and 
modifications  have  been  since  made  to  this  law,  particularly  in 
1819  and  1820  ; in  the  latter  of  which,  the  trade  is  declared 
to  be  piracy,  and  those  American  citizens  engaged  in  it  pu- 
nishable with  death.  In  the  orders  given  by  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  to  the  commanders  of  American  cruisers,  they 
are  strongly  enjoined  to  pay  vigilant  attention  to  the  suppres- 
sion of  this  inhuman  and  disgraceful  traffic. 

The  British  parliament,  in  the  year  1807,  passed  a law  for 
the  abolition  of  the  African  slave  trade  throughout  the  Bri- 
tish dominions.  The  general  abolition  of  this  trade,  has  been 
a subject  of  negociation  between  that  government  and  the 
different  European  powers  with  whom  treaties  have  been 
made  since  that  time.  A letter  from  Prince  Talleyrand  to 
the  British  minister,  dated  30th  of  July,  1815,  states  that 
the  King  of  France,  in  consequence  of  communications  re- 
ceived from  the  British  minister,  had  issued  directions,  that 
en  the  part  of  France,  the  traffic  in  slaves  should  cease  from 
the  present  time  every  where,  and  for  ever.  This  was  fol- 
lowed by  an  additional  article  to  the  treaty  concluded  at 
Paris  on  the  20th  of  November  following  between  France 
and  the  allied  powers.  By  this  article  these  powers  engaged 
to  renew  conjointly  their  efforts,  with  a view  of  securing 
final  success  to  those  principles,  Avhich  they  proclaimed  in 
1815,  and  of  concerting  without  loss  of  time,  the  most  ef- 
fectual measures  for  the  certain  and  definitive  abolition  of  a 
commerce,  so  odious  and  so  strongly  condemned  by  the  laws 
of  religion  and  nature. 

By  a decree  of  the  Spanish  monarch,  dated  December, 
1817,  the  subjects  of  his  government  are  prohibited  from 
that  day  forward,  from  going  to  buy  negroes  on  the  coast  of 
Africa  north  of  the  line  ; and  the  like  prohibition  applies 
from  May  1820,  to  places  south  of  the  equator.  The  slaves 
bought  in  violation  of  this  decree,  are  declared  free,  the  ship 
confiscated,  and  the  purchaser,  captain,  master  anu  pilot, 
condemned  to  ten  years  transportation  to  the  Philippines. 

By  a law  dated  1818,  the  subjects  of  Portugal  are  pro- 
hibited from  carrying  on  the  slave  trade  in  any  part  of  the 
African  coast  north  of  the  line.  Slaves  bought  north  of  the 


6 


line  are  declared  free,  the  vessel  and  cargo  confiscated,  and 
captain,  pilot  and  supercargo,  banished  to  Mosambique  for 
fivt  years,  and  subject  to  a fine  equal  to  the  expected  profits 
of  the  adventure. 

A laAV  dated  November  1818,  ostensibly  designed  to  pre- 
vent the  slave  trade,  was  promulgated  by  the  government  of 
the  Netherlands. 

A treaty  was  concluded  between  England  and  Denmark  in 
1814,  prohibiting  the  subjects  of  the  latter  kingdom  from 
carrying  on  the  slave  trade. 

When  the  atrocious  character  of  the  African  slave  trade, 
the  abhorrence  with  which  it  has  been  long  beheld  by  the 
friends  of  humanity  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  the  stig- 
ma stamped  upon  it  by  the  Sovereigns  at  Vienna  in  1815, 
and  the  various  laws  enacted  for  its  suppression,  by  the 
principal  maritime  powers  of  Europe  and  America,  are  con- 
sidered, it  may  appear  incredible,  that  this  traffic  should  still 
continue  to  disgrace  the  Christian  name  ; yet  from  various 
sources  of  authentic  information,  it  is  an  unquestionable  fact 
that  these  people  remain  exposed  to  all  the  horrors  insepa- 
rable from  this  iniquitous  commerce,  and  to  an  extent  sur- 
passing all  former  example.  Of  the  truth  of  these  general 
assertions,  the  following  extracts  furnish  ample  testimony. 

“ Previously  to  the  revolutionary  war,  the  number  of  slaves 
carried  away  in  British  ships  was  estimated  at  38,000  an- 
nually. About  40,000  or  42,000  more  were  supposed  to  be 
carried  away  by  the  Portuguese,  French,  Dutch,  Danes,  and 
Americans.  This  estimate  probably  falls  below  the  truth, 
as  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  annual  export  of  the 
Portuguese  alone  amounted  to  25,000 ; and  the  number  of 
slaves  introduced  into  St.  Domingo  by  the  French,  some 
time  before  the  revolution  in  that  island,  is  known  to  have 
been  very  large.  In  the  course  of  a few  years  after  the 
breaking  out  of  the  maritime  war  of  1793,  the  English  share 
of  the  slave  trade  rose  to  the  enormous  amount  of  55,000  in 
a single  year.  TTi*e  only  other  nations  that  during  that  pe- 
riod, and  down  to  the  year  1810  were  engaged  in  the  slave 
trade  of  Western  Africa,  were  the  Portuguese  and  Ameri- 
cans. The  number  carried  off  by  the  Portuguese,  has  been 
estimated  at  from  20,000  to  25,000  annually,  and  by  the 
Americans  15,000.  Notwithstanding  the  prohibitory  act  of 
America,  which  was  passed  in  1807,  ships  bearing  the  Ame- 
rican flag  continued  to  trade  for  slaves  until  1809;  when,  in 
consequence  of  a decision  in  the  English  prize  appeal  courts, 
which  rendered  American  slave  ships  liable  to  capture  and 
Condemnation,  the  flag  suddenly  disappeared  from  the  coast 


1 


Its  place  was  almost  instantaneously  supplied  by  the  Spanish 
•flag. 

This  sudden  substitution  of  the  Spanish  for  the  American 
flag,  seemed  to  confirm  what  was  established  in  a variety  of 
instances,  by  more  direct  testimony  that  the  slave  trade, 
which  now  assumed  a Spanish  dress,  was  in  reality  only  the 
trade  of  other  nations  in  disguise.”  See  13th  report,  Ar  In- 
stitution”, p.  60,  61. 

Extract  of  a letter  and  memorandum  transmitted  from  the 

Governor  of  Sierra  Leone  to  Earl  Bathurst,  dated  January 

14,  1822. 

“ I sincerely  lament  that  my  forbodeings,  as  to  the  extent 
of  the  traffic  in  slaves,  have  been  fully  realized  ; that  more 
slaves  were  carried  from  Africa  in  the  course  of  last  year 
than  in  the  preceding  year. 

“ The  circumstance  of  a heavy  duty  or  custom  becoming 
due  to  the  chiefs  of  Bonny  and  Calabar  on  every  slave  ship 
when  fully  laden,  necessarily  induces  them  to  keep  a kind  of 
registry  of  the  different  vessels  : numeral  lists  from  these 
rivers,  and  founded  on  the  said  registry,  frequently  come  to 
this  colony,  but  from  their  magnitude  had  been  deemed  ex- 
aggerated and  incredible.  Captain  Leeke,  however,  in  the 
month  of  October  (1821)  ascertained  on  good  authority, 
that  the  number  of  slave  cargoes  taken  out  from  Bonny, 
from  July  in  the  preceding  year  (1820)  up  to  that  time,  was 
actually  one  hundred  and  ninety.  A similar  return  from  the 
Calabar  for  a like  period,  made  a total  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  ;wo.”  16th  report,  p.  63  and  64. 

It  is  perhaps  impracticable  to  ascertain  the  exact  amount 
of  slaves  exported  annually  from  Africa,  owing  to  the  legal 
restraints  upon  the  trade  : but  supposing  the  cargoes  to 
average  400  slaves  each,  352  being  shipped  in  14  months 
would  amount  to  120,684  slaves  per  annum  from  these  two 
rivers  only.  The  aggregate  of  200,000  per  annum,  would 
not,  therefore,  appear  to  be  too  great  a computation  for  the 
shipments  now  made  from  the  whole  extent  of  coast,  which  is 
at  least  double  the  estimated  number  annually  transported 
from  Africa  prior  to  the  year  1810,  notwithstanding  all  the 
exertions  of  Europe  and  America  to  extinguish  the  trade. 


8 


EKtract  of  a letter  written  by  Lieutenant  Stockton^  of  the 
United  States  Schooner  Alligator^  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  dated  Boston^  26,  1821. 

“ The  slave  trade,  as  inhuman  and  impious  as  it  is,  amidst 
All  seeming  difficulties,  and  the  world’s  boasts  of  advance- 
ment in  the  science  of  civilization  and  Christianity,  is  at  this 
moment  carried  on  to  an  extravagant  extent.  The  capital, 
as  well  as  the  ingenuity  of  a part  of  the  commercial  world,  is 
entirely  devoted  to  it.  The  European,  the  American,  and 
the  African  too,  are  all  interested  in  it,  and  are  all  implicated 
in  this  charge  against  the  integrity  of  man.  In  vain  have 
the  amiable  doctrines  of  religion  and  humanity,  raised  their 
gentle  voices  against  it,  and  in  vain  will  governments  de- 
nounce it,  until  they  shall  meet  on  a broad  and  liberal  policy, 
until  their  resources  shall  be  freely  offered,  and  their  power 
vigorously  exercised.” 

LMract  of  a letter  from  the  same,  dated  Charleston,  S.  C. 
January  22,  just  returned  from  a cruize  on  the  Af- 

rican  Coast. 

If  I met  with  a vessel  bearing  a foreign  flag,  I neither 
approached,  boarded,  or  examined  her  after  it  was  display- 
ed, except  in  the  case  of  the  vessel  sent  by  me  to  the  United 
States,  the  commander  of  which  I deemed  a felon.  In  one 
instance  I approached  a vessel  during  the  night,  and  sent 
my  boat  to  ascertain  her  character.  She  claimed  to  be  an 
Englishman  and  refused  permission  to  be  boarded,  which 
was  exceedingly  mortifying,  but  in  obedience  to  the  views 
of  the  government,  I submitted  to  it  with  all  possible  patience, 
and  she  was  allowed  to  depart  in  peace  without  further  exa- 
mination. Arriving  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  my  opinions 
with  regard  to  the  French  flag  were  confirmed  by  all  re- 
ports, and  it  is  now  generally  believed,  that  the  slave  trade 
is  almost  altogether  prosecuted  and  protected  by  that  flag, 
which  is,  under  existing  circumstances,  a guarantee  for  the 
safety  of  the  trade.  I am  informed  that  the  estimated  num- 
ber of  slaves  taken  from  Africa  under  the  French  flag  during 
last  year,  is  not  less  than  200,000.” 

Extract  of  a letter  from  M.  C.  Perry,  of  the  United  States 
Schooner  Shark,  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  dated  Jan- 
uary  17,  1822. 

“ Slave  traders  continue  to  resort  to  the  Canary  Islands, 


y 


in  the  ports  of  which  they  make  their  final  preparations  for 
the  coast,  changing  their  papers  and  completing  their  com- 
plement of  men.  About  10  days  previous  to  my  arrival  at 
Teneriffe,  a slave  trading  brig  under  French  colours  left  the 
Island  for  the  coast,  and  a Spanish  schooner  engaged  in  the 
same  traffic,  was  daily  expected  at  the  Island  of  Palma. 
Whether  or  not  American  citizens  are  concerned  in  these 
vessels,  I have  been  unable  to  ascertain.  From  the  Ca- 
naries I shaped  my  course  for  the  Cape  de  Verds,  where  I 
cruized  some  days,  examining  numerous  ports,  and  making 
every  enquiry  respecting  slave  traders.  The  principal  in- 
habitants of  these  Islands  are  deeply  engaged  in  the  slave 
trade,  and  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  Portu- 
guese governmert  is  aware  of  the  fact.  Small  vessels  are 
continually  arriving  from  the  French  and  Portuguese  trading 
establishments  on  the  coast,  Muth  negroes,  who  are  baptized 
in  the  established  Roman  faith,  and  after  remaining  in  the 
Island.s  one  year,  are  shipped  off  to  the  Brazils  as  Portu- 
guese subjects.” 

Extract  from  Dr.  E.  Ayres’  observations  on  the  slave  trade., 

communicated  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.,  dated  Balti- 
more., February  24,  1823. 

“ This  trade,  though  nearly  abandoned  by  American  and 
British  citizens,  is  yet  carried  on  to  an  alarming  degree 
by  the  other  powers  of  Europe,  and  principally  by  the  French. 
It  has  been  stated  that  200,000  were  taken  from  the  coast  in 
the  year  ending  on  the  1st  of  June  last.  The  following  re- 
port from  the  commander  of  His  Britanic  Majesty’s  brig 
Snapper  in  the  month  of  July  of  that  year,  will  give  some 
idea  of  the  state  of  the  coast  at  that  time.  The  dealers  have 
been  sensible  that  the  trade  could  not  be  much  longer  tole- 
rated by  the  civilized  powers  of  the  world,  and  have  exerted 
their  utmost  diligence,  and  in  an  equal  proportion  have  the 
sufferings  and  horrors  of  the  unfortunate  victims  been  in- 
creased. 

“ The  report  states  the  aggregate  amount  to  be  17  vessels, 
which  could  carry  from  6 to  7000  slaves.  These  were  ex- 
amined by  the  brig  Snapper  in  a short  cruize  of  about  three 
weeks  in  July,  In  the  beginning  of  August  following,  there 
were  3 Hermaphrodite  brigs  and  2 schooners,  under  the 
French  flag,  waiting  for  slaves  at  the  Gallinas ; and  about  the 
end  of  September,  other  vessels  under  the  same  flag  came  to 
anchor  off  the  bar,  and  were  preparing  to  send  their  cargoes 
ashore  for  slaves.  H.  B.  M.  schooner  Pheasant,  in  a short 

B 


10 


cruize,  boarded  6 other  vessels  prepared  for  taking  in  slaves. 
The  following  is  a letter  from  an  officer  on  board  H.  B.  M. 
ship  Myrmidon  when  on  a cruize  in  the  month  of  Au- 
gust, in  the  Bight  of  Benin.  ‘ Fernando  Po,  August  6th.  We 
have  been  cruizing  in  the  Bight  of  Benin  in  company  with 
the  Pheasant,  and  in  my  life  I never  saw  any  thing  to  equal 
the  extent  to  which  the  slave  trade  Is  carried  on  in  this 
place.  To  give  you  an  idea  of  it,  I will  particularize  the 
vessels  spoken  to  and  chased,  &c.  At  Whydah,  two  spoken 
and  two  chased  away  by  the  Myrmidon,  and  caught  at  Bight, 
(one,  a Portuguese  for  slaves,  the  other  said  to  be  a trader, 
likewise  Portuguese)  unfortunately  for  us  no  slaves  on 
board.  A few  miles  further  on,  at  Badagay,  and  on  that 
part  of  the  coast,  2 large  Portuguese  schooners ; at  Lagos, 
6 large  brigs,  and  a ship  very  nearly  or  quite  as  large  as  the 
Myrmidon,  to  carry  800  slaves;  one  brig  supposed  to  be  a 
Spaniard  escaped.  On  the  20th  of  July,  off  Cape  Formosa, 
a schooner  was  seen  from  mast-head  about  16  miles  from 
us  ; at  3 we  caught  her  ; she  proved  to  be  the  Adelaide, 
Portuguese,  bound  to  Bahia;  had  on  board  at  the  time  of 
capture  232  slaves,  17  of  whom  have  died  from  being  so 
dreadfully  crowded.  On  the  15th  of  April  last.  Commodore 
Sir  Robert  Mends  arrived  at  the  river  Bonny,  and  discovered 
in  that  river  the  following  vessels,  viz.  1st.  Yeanam,  Spanish 
schooner  from  the  Havanna,  306  tons,  380  slaves  on  board, 
70  men,  armed  with  8 long  18  pounders  and  2 long  nines.  2d, 
Vigilante,  French  .brig  from  Nantes,  owner,  Michard  of 
Nantes,  a notorious  slave  dealer,  to  whom  the  “ Success,” 
condemned  at  the  Mauiitius  belonged  ; 240  tons,  346  slaves 
on  beard,  30  men,  and  armed  with  4 twelve  pounders,  all  of 
which  were  brought  over  on  one  side  for  the  attack.  3d, 
Vecua,  Spanish  schooner  from  Havanna,  180  tons,  325 
slaves  on  board,  45  men,  and  armed  with  8 long  18  pound- 
ers, and  1 long  nine.  4th,  La  Petite  Betsy,  French  brig  from 
Nantes,  184  tons,  218  slaves  on  board,  25  men,  and  armed 
with  4 nine  pound  carronades.  5th,  L’Ursule,  French  brig- 
antine from  St.  Pierre,  Martinique,  100  tons,  347  slaves  on 
board,  27  men,  and  armed  with  4 nine  pound  carronades. 
6th.  The  Liverpool  brig  William  Rathbone,  for  palm  oil. 
7th,  L’Theodore,  French  brig,  slaves  on  shore.’ 

“ These  were  attacked  by  the  boats  of  the  British  squadron 
and  captured.  On  board  the  Spanish  vessel,  the  British  of- 
ficer observed  a little  girl  12  or  13  years  old,  in  irons,  to 
which  there  was  fastened  a big  heavy  chain  10  feet  long  ; 
he  ordered  the  irons  taken  off  of  the  child  and  placed  on  the 
captain,  who  had  caused  them  to  be  put  on  her.  In  less 


11 


than  3 months,  the  squadron  under  command  of  Sir  Robert 
Mends,  had  liberated  from  the  iron  grasp  of  slavery,  more 
than  2000  unfortunate  victims,  and  placed  them  under  the 
fostering  care  of  British  benevolence  in  the  Colony. 

“ While  I was  at  Montserado,  there  was  ho  time  without 
from  1 to  3 vessels  lying  at  the  St.  Pauls,  waiting  for  slaves, 
and  when  returning  in  the  Calypso,  as  we  passed  Cape 
Mount,  2 vessels  got  under  way  from  that  place  and  pre- 
pared for  action  ; as  we  passed  them  they  both  fired  upon 
us,  but  as  the  shot  did  not  reach  us  we  passed  on  uninjured. 
There  were  at  the  same  time  several  vessels  lying  at  Gali- 
nas waiting  for  slaves.” 

FRANCE, 

Although  the  British  and  American  governments,  have 
manifested  a determination  to  enforce  their  prohibitory 
laws  for  the  suppression  of  the  African  slave  trade,  yet  from 
the  negligence  or  connivance  of  other  powers,  the  measures 
which  have  been  adopted  for  this  purpose,  ha^e  hitherto 
only  partially  effected  their  benevolent  object.  The  trade  is 
still  carried  on,  and  particularly  under  the  French  flag,  with 
increased  avidity  and  with  little  disguise  or  concealment. 
In  a pamphlet  written  by  Thomas  Clarkson,  and  distributed 
at  the  time  of  the  Congress  at  Aix  la  Chapelle,  in  the  10th 
month,  1818,  he  says,  “ The  peace  which  followed  the 
overthrow  of  the  revolutionary  powers  of  France,  and  which 
has  been  pregnant  with  so  many  blessings  to  Europe,  has 
proved  to  Africa  a source  of  renewed  calamities — of  cala- 
mities greatly  aggravated,  even  by  the  partial  repose  she  has 
for  a while  enjoyed,  as  well  as  by  the  disappointment  of  her 
new-born  and  reasonable  hopes.  No  sooner  was  peace  pro- 
claimed, than  the  traders  in  human  blood,  hastened  from  va- 
rious quarters  to  the  African  shores,  and  with  a cupidity 
sharpened  by  past  restraint,  renewed  their  former  crimes. 
Among  the  rest,  the  slave  merchants  of  France,  who  had 
been  excluded  for  upwards  of  20  years,  from  any  direct  par- 
ticipation in  this  murderous  traffic,  now  eagerly  resumed  it ; 
and  to  this  very  hour  they  continu^openly  to  carry  it  on,  not- 
withstanding the  solemn  renunciation  of  it  by  their  own  gO'^ 
vernment,  in  1815,  and  the  prohibitory  French  laws  which* 
have  since  been  passed  to  restrain  them.  The  revival  and  pro- 
gress of  the  French  slave  trade,  have  in  one  respect  been 
peculiarly  opprobrious,  and  attended  with  aggravated  cruelty 
and  mischief.  During  the  ten  years  which  preceded  the  res- 
toration of  Senegal  and  Goree  to  France,  no  part  of  the  Af* 


12 


rican  coast,  Sierra  Leone  excepted,  had  enjoyed  so  entire 
an  exemption  from  the  miseries  produced  by  the  slave  trade 
as  these  settlements,  and  the  country  in  their  vicinage.  The 
suppression  of  the  traffic  was  then  nearly  complete  ; and,  in 
consequence,  a striking  increase  of  population  and  of  agricul- 
ture in  the  surrounding  districts,  with  a proportionate  im- 
provement in  other  respects,  gave  a dawn  of  rising  pros- 
perity and  happiness,  highly  exhilarating  to  every  benevo- 
lent mind.  It  was  in  the  month  of  Januafy  1817,  that  these 
interesting  settlements  were  restored  to  France  ; and  me- 
lancholy indeed  have  been  the  effects : no  sooner  was  the 
transfer  completed,  than,  in  defiance  of  the  declarations,  by 
which  the  king  of  France  had  prohibited  the  slave  trade  to 
his  subjects,  that  trade  was  instantly  renewed  and  extended 
in  all  directions.  The  ordinary  excitements  to  the  native 
chiefs,  have  produced  more  than  the  ordinary  horrors. 
In  the  short  space  of  a single  year  after  the  change  of  flags, 
the  adjoining  countries,  though  previously  flourishing  in 
peace  and  abundance,  exhibited  but  one  frightful  spectacle 
of  misery  and  devastation.  How,  indeed,  could  it  be  other- 
wise, when  we  contemplate  the  means  employed  ! Bands  of 
plunderers  went  forth  on  every  side.  Towns  and  villages 
were  surrounded  in  the  night  and  set  on  fire.  Their  miserable 
inhabitants,  flying  to  escape  the  flames,  either  met  death, 
in  a hopeless  resistance  to  the  assailants,  or  were  seized, 
carried  away,  and  sold  into  interminable  slavery  and  exile. 
By  day  the  peaceful  labourers  in  the  field  met  the  same  fate. 
Ruffians  approached  them  by  stealth,  seized,  gagged  and 
bound  them,  and  led  them  away  to  the  ships.  Others  were 
dragged  before  the  barbarous  tribunals  of  the  country,  and 
accused  of  pretended  or  impossible  crimes,  that  they  and 
their  families  might  be  enslaved  and  transported,  under  co- 
lour of  public  justice.  No  sooner  do  these  settlements  re  - 
vert to  her  dominions,  than  the  work  of  rapine,  and  carnage, 
and  desolation  commence  ; every  opening  prospect  of  im- 
provement is  crushed  j thousands  of  miserable  captives  of 
every  age  and  sex,  are  crowded  into  the  pestilential  holds  of 
slave  ships,  and  subjected  to  the  well  known  horrors  of  the 
middle  passage,  in  order  to  be  transported  to  the  French  co- 
lonies in  the  West  Indies.  There,  such  of  them  as  may  sur- 
vive, arc  doomed  to  pass  their  lives  in  severe  and  unremit- 
ting labour,  exacted  from  them  by  the  merciless  lash  of  the 
cart-whip  in  the  hands  of  a driver.”  “ But  it  is  not,”  says 
the  same  writer,  “ from  the  ports  of  Goree  and  Senegal 
alone  that  the  French  obtain  their  slaves  ; they  go  to  very 
distant  parts,  such  as  Bonny,  Calabar,  and  Gaboon,  where 


13 


there  are  no  French  governors  to  check  them.  They  fit 
out  regularly  at  Havre,  Bourdeaux  and  other  ports.  Their 
chains  and  hand-cufFs  are  put  on  board  in  boxes,  and  enter- 
ed as  if  they  were  other  articles.  It  is  known  that  some  of 
these  slave  ships,  have  gone  to  those  distant  places  just 
mentioned,  within  the  last  two  years,  and  that  others  are 
now  out.  The  case  of  the  Rodeur  is  very  striking  ; she 
sailed  from  Havre,  in  the  last  year  (1819)  for  the  river 
Calabar.  Having  taken  in  a cargo  of  slaves,  she  proceeded 
Avith  them  to  Guadaloupe.  On  the  passage  the  poor  negroes 
were  seized  with  a violent  Ophthalmia,  (a  disease  of  the 
eyes,)  which  soon  afterwards  communicated  itself  to  the 
crew.  The  disorder  had  been  increased  from  the  captain’s 
finding  himself  under  the  necessity  of  keeping  his  captives 
constantly  below,  for  they  were  so  afflicted  by  their  captivity, 
that  when  brought  upon  deck,  they  took  every  opportunity 
of  throwing  themselves  overboard.  To  deter  them,  some 
Avere  hanged,  and  others  shot ; but  this  having  no  effect, 
they  were  obliged  to  be  constantly  confined  between  the  decks. 
In  process  of  time,  under  these  cruel  circumstances,  the 
ophthalmia  spread,  and  affected  every  individual  both  of  the 
officers  and  crew,  except  one  man,  who  alone  was  left  capa- 
ble of  steering  the  ship.  It  is  remarkable,  while  the  Rodeur 
was  on  her  passage,  she  passed  a Spanish  slave  ship,  called 
the  St.  Leon,  which  had  left  the  coast  of  Africa  some  little 
time  before  her.  It  appeared  that  the  crew  of  this  latter  ves- 
sel, had  also  caught  the  Ophthalmia  from  their  own  negroes, 
and  that  the  complaint  had  spread,  until  not  even  one  man 
of  the  Avhole  crcAv  could  see  to  steer.  In  this  dreadful  state, 
the  crew  of  the  Spanish  vessel  implored  assistance  of  the 
crew  of  the  Rodeur,  whose  voices  they  heard  as  the  ships 
approached  each  other  ; but  the  latter  had  none  to  lend,  so 
that  the  St.  Leon  passed  on  just  Avhere  the  Avind  carried  her. 
This  vessel  has  never  been  heard  of  since.  It  is  presumed 
that  both  the  oppressors  and  the  oppressed  perished  on  the 
ocean,  either  by  famine,  or  by  finding  a watery  grave.  When 
the  Rodeur  arrived  at  Guadaloupe,  thirty  nine  negroes  who 
Avere  totally  blind,  were  thrown  into  the  sea  as  being  quite 
useless ; those  who  had  lost  only  one  eye  Avere  sold  at  a 
very  low  price.  The  crew  of  the  Rodeur  consisted  of  22 
men,  of  Avhom  12  Avere  completely  blind  ; 5 of  the  remaining 
10  were  recovered,  and  the  other  5 each  lost  an  eye.” 

In  corroboration  of  these  statements  respecting  the  French 
slave  trade,  take  the  folloAving  extracts. 


14 


Extract  from  the  report  of  Commodore  6'ir  George  R.  Collier^ 
' December  27,  1821. 

“ It  is  true  that  certain  powers  have  abandoned  the  slave 
"trade  entirely  ; and  others  have  professed,  and  even  engaged 
to  confine  it  within  certain  limits ; but,  notwithstanding 
this,  my  full  persuasion  is,  that  this  infamous  traffic  in 
amount,  is  no  less  than  it  was  ; and  numberless  opportunities 
of  personal  observation  justify  me  in  saying,  that  in  the  man- 
ner of  conducting  it,  in  cruelty  and  barbarity,  it  cannot  be 
surpassed.”  Under  the  head  France,  he  says,  “Vessels  un- 
der her  flag  are  occasion^ly  to  be  found  on  all  parts  of  the 
coast ; her  colours  being  protection  every  where  ; but  the 
principal  resort  of  French  slavers  is  in  the  river  Bonny, 
where  they  are  at  most  times  in  numbers ; and  where,  as  I 
was  informed,  they  were  establishing  factors  for  the  regu- 
lar supply  of  their  vessels.  I had  for  some  weeks  on  board 
the  Tartar,  a remarkably  intelligent  man  acquainted  with 
these  parts,  who  informed  me,  that  within  the  last  12  months 
he  had  seen  in  the  two  rivers  of  Bonny  and  New  Calabar, 
nearly  a hundred  sail  of  vessels  for  slaves,  and  that  the 
greater  proportion  of  these  bore  the  white  flag.”  16th  Report 
A.  I.  p.  77  and  82. 

Extract  from  the  translation  of  a circular  letter^  dated  Nantes^ 

February  18,  1821,  containing  the  prospectus  of  a slave 

adventure. 

“ Sir — Being  desirous  that  you  should  take  a share  in  an 
expedition  which  I am  about  to  form  for  the  coast  of  Af- 
rica, I proceed  to  detail  my  plan,  together  with  its  cost  and 
probable  result.  You  will  not  fail  to  remark,  from  the  con- 
tents of  this  paper,  that  the  only  risk  to  be  incurred  will  be 
that  of  profit,  as  every  thing  will  be  insured.  It  appears  to 
me  that  these  are,  in  fact,  the  best  speculations  to  be  under- 
taken in  the  present  day  : this  kind  of  adventure  offers  very 
great  advantages,  of  which  our  port  bears  testimony  by  the 
number  of  equipments  which  are  daily  fitted  out  there  for 
the  coast  of  Africa.”  16th  Report  A.  I.  p.  168. 

This  statement  is  corroborated  by  the  following  extract 
from  a memorandum  furnished  by  Captain  Moresby,  dated 
Port  Lewis,  April  14,  1821.  Page  170  A.  I.  Report. 

“ The  next  subject  that  now  engrosses  the  French  slave 
dealers,  is  the  trade  to  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  settle- 
ments in  this  part  of  the  world : and  at  Nantes,  it  appears 


15 


little  to  be  doubted,  but  they  have  taken  up  the  trade  pro- 
hibited to  the  Portuguese  and  Spaniards,  as  I was  told  b)* 
N.  Bertrand,  that  tiventy-four  vessels  had  been  fitted  out  at 
that  port,  similar  to  ‘ Lc  Success,’  whose  next  voyage  was 
to  have  been  to  the  Havanna.  It  appears  also  from  various 
circumstances  that  Mr.  Latorzee  is  the  principal  agent.” 

Extracts  from  the  Royal  Gazette  and  Sierra  Leone  Advertiser, 
August  25,  1821. 

“ On  the  4th  inst.  3 hermaphrodite  brigs  and  2 schooners 
were  slaving  at  the  Gallinas,  all  under  the  French  flag  ; one 
of  the  brigs  intended  to  carrj^  550  slaves,  armed  with  14 
guns,  and  manned  with  100  men.  Another  of  the  brigs  450, 
and  the  smallest  of  the  schooners  250  slaves.”  See  A.  I. 
16th  Report,  p.  176. 

Sept.  29,  1821.  “ Lieutenant  Knight  was  informed  that  a 
French  schooner  had  lately  sailed  with  200  slaves  for  Cay- 
enne, which  vessel  from  the  shortness  of  her  built  for  the 
advantage  of  sailing,  could  only  carry  at  the  rate  ol  nine  gal- 
lons of  water  per  slave ; and  the  commander  had  no  inten- 
tion of  touching  at  any  other  place  before  he  reached  his  des- 
tination.” p.  177. 

November  10,  1821.  “ During  the  month  of  July  last, 

M.  Blanchard,  the  agent  of  Bourgerell’s  house,  had  with  the 
assistance  of  M.  Burdet,  collected  in  the  Cassamanza  200 
slaves,  which  were  to  be  shipped  on  board  L’Africaine 
then  lying  at  Senegal.  This  vessel  was  in  the  usual  manner 
to  have  cleared  out  on  a trading  voyage,  to  have  touched  at 
Cassamanza,  take  in  her  cargo,  ancl  proceed  to  Martinique. 
The  publicity  that  was  given  to  this  project,  and  the  circum- 
stances of  M.  Blanchard  having  taken  in  water-casks  from 
Goree,  in  a small  schooner  hired  for  that  purpose,  induced  M. 
du  Plessis,  the  senior  naval  officer  there,  to  dispatch  a brig 
of  wav  to  Cassamanza.  This  vessel  returned  on  the  18th  of 
August  with  10  slaves.  Blanchard’s  hired  schooner  was 
seized,  but  was  given  up  the  next  day,  and  this  wretch  was 
permitted  to  go  at  large  in  Goree  ; it  appearing,  that  as  the 
French  law  now  stands,  there  is  no  criminality  attached  to 
slave  trading,  and  therefore  there  is  no  punishment.”  p.  179. 

November  24,  1821.  “■  We  are  indebted  to  our  corres- 

pondent on  board  the  Snapper  for  the  following  information 
respecting  the  slave  trade,  acquired  during  her  late  cruize. 
‘ During  our  last  short  cruize,  we  fell  in  v/ith  9 slave  ves- 
sels ; seven  of  them  were  boarded  and  found  to  be  French, 
completely  fitted  for  the  slave  trade ; in  fact,  2 of  them  had 


16 


their  slaves  on  board  : the  eighth,  a large  French  brig,  was 
not  visited,  owing  to  the  badness  of  the  weather,  and  late- 
ness of  the  evening  ; but  her  nationality  was  ascertained  by 
the  fullest  information.  Most  of  the  French  vessels  were  fit- 
ted out  and  equipped  at  Nantes,  a certain  evidence  of  the  in- 
difference, (to  use  the  mildest  term)  shown  by  their  govern- 
ment towards  the  prevention  of  that  traffic ; for  it  is  cer- 
tainly difficult  to  fancy,  that  vessels  furnished  with  tiers  of 
water-casks,  large  boilers,  irons  and  gratings,  and  also  hea- 
vily armed,  could  clear  for  this  Coast  for  any  other  purpose 
than  the  slave  trade.  The  number  of  vessels  at  present  on 
the  coast,  and,  indeed,  the  avowals  of  the  masters  and  su- 
percargoes, too  plainly  testify,  that  France,  profiting  by  our 
treaties  with  the  other  powers,  has  become  the  cairiers  of 
slaves  for  those  nations,  and  thus  reaps  the  enormous  gains 
produced  by  this  odious  system.  One  ofthe  French  schooners 
boardttd,  was  a mere  boat,  though  she  had  on  board  150 
slaves  literally  packed  together.  These  poor  creatures  were 
truly  in  a pitiable  state,  and  by  their  most  expressive  cries 
and  gestures  towards  us,  evinced  their  anxiety  to  be  releas- 
ed.” p.  182. 

January  6,  1822.  “ Disgusting  to  our  feelings,  as  any  al- 
lusion to  the  slave  trade  must  always  be,  a sense  of  duty 
compels  us  to  notice  the  enormous  extent  to  which  it  has  at 
present  arrived.  That  this  abominable  traffic  has  increased, 
and  is  evidently  increasing,  we  assert  without  fear  of  con- 
tradiction from  any  person  who  may  have  taken  the  trouble 
to  make  himself  acquainted  with  the  subject.  The  exertions 
of  Sir  George  R.  Collier,  and  the  squadron  under  his  com- 
mand)  are  duly  appreciated  in  this  Colony,  as  well  as  by  every 
friend  to  humanity ; yet  it  is  impossible  to  calculate  what 
would  have  been  effected,  did  not  certain  provisions  of  the 
treaties,  under  which  the  squadron  act,  protect  the  slave 
ships  from  seizure,  unless  the  slaves  are  actually  on  board 
them.  So  long  as  this  clause  remains  in  force,  we  must  ex- 
pect numerous  Spanish,  Portuguese,  and  Dutch  vessels  on 
the  coast.  But  it  is  the  flag  of  the  most  Christian  King, 
which  has  given  an  impulse  and  an  activity  to  this  traffic 
hitherto  unknown.  In  our  late  numbers  we  have  occasionally 
published  the  names  of  vessels  under  that  flag,  visited  by 
our  naval  officers,  man)'  of  these  having  their  human  car- 
goes on  board.  We  have  understood  that  most  of  the  slaves 
carried  from  the  coast  in  French  vessels,  find  their  way  to 
the  Havanna  market ; for  it  is  rather  incredible,  that  so  many 
slaves  should  be  required  in  their  West  India  possessions. 
Numerical  calculations  we  will  not  now  enter  into:  in  fact, 


ir 


if  at  all  correct,  they  must  from  their  magnitude  appear  in- 
credible. The  increase  of  this  horrid  traffic  is  sensibly  felt 
in  this  colony ; and  indeed  it  is  truly  painful  to  reflect, 
that  the  exertions  of  our  government  in  effecting  its  total, 
abolition,  should  be  thwarted  by  the  torpidity  and  indiffer- 
ence of  those  powers,  whose  good  faith  stands  pledged,  by 
their  public  declarations,  for  its  suppression.  At  no  very 
remote  period,  the  traffickers  in  human  blood,  however  nu- 
merous on  the  coast,  could  not  with  impunity  visit  the  rivers 
in  our  vicinity  ; but  now  with  unparalleled  audacity,  they 
anchor  almost  within  view  of  the  British  flag.  Even  at  the  mo- 
ment we  now  write,  a French  vessel  is  taking  in  her  slaves  at 
Shebar,  a few  miles  south  of  the  Bananas  ; and  a Spaniard, 
the  Rosalia,  Don  Francisco  Freyre  master,  waiting  for  a si- 
milar cargo,  not  40  miles  from  the  Isles  de  Loss. 

February  9,  1822.  “ On  Friday,  the  French  brig  of  war 
L’Huron,  commanded  by  commodore  Du  Plessis,  arrived  in 
this  harbour  from  a cruize  to  leeward.  We  learn  that  this 
vessel  proceeded  down  the  coast  as  far  as  Gra.»d  Bassa,  that 
she  fell  in  with  and  boarded  several  slave  ships  under  the 
French  flag,  but  that  none  were  seized  or  detained.  This 
latter  fact  is  to  us,  as  it  must  be  to  all  friends  of  humanity, 
a matter  of  great  disappointment  and  regret.  We  did  en- 
tertain a hope,  that  the  arrival  of  a French  vessel  of  war  on 
this  part  of  the  coast,  would  at  least  be  the  means  of  ridding 
our  immediate  neighbourhood  of  slave  vessels,  under  the  flag 
of  the  ?nost  Christian  king.  We  have  however  been  griev- 
ously deceived  : the  present  visit  of  L’Huron  serving  but  to 
give  an  increased  portion  of  confidence  and  audacity  to  the 
French  slave  traders  ; nor  indeed  do  they  require  this  stimu- 
lus ; for  it  is  a fact,  that  a few  weeks  since,  a large  slav^ 
ship  of  that  nation  was  examined  by  H.  M.  brig  Thistle,  al- 
most within  cannon  shot  of  the  Islands  de  Loss,  and  that  a 
schooner,  from  Goree,  is  at  this  moment  in  the  Rio  Pongos, 
trading  in  human  beings  ! The  frank  avowal  of  commodore 
Du  Plessis,  that  he  had  met  with,  and  examined  four  vessels 
of  his  own  nation  fitted  for  slaves  at  Cape  Mount  and  the 
Gallinas,  but  that  his  instructions  did  not  authorize  him  to 
detain  them,  most  fully  exculpates  that  officer.  Blame  must 
attach  to  another  quarter ; but  let  it  fix  where  it  may,  de- 
voted Africa  suffers  ; and  we  lament  to  say,  suffers  without 
much  prospect  of  redress.  Our  readers  will  recollect  the 
circumstance  of  the  seizure  of  10  slaves  by  the  French 
commander,  mentioned  in  the  letter  of  Verax  of  25th  Octo- 
ber last  (N.  180.).  W'^e  have  ascertained  that  Mons.  Bour- 
gerell,  acting  procureur  du  Roi  at  Senegal,  at  the  time  of  the 

C 


18 


seizure  of  these  slaves,  was  so  conscious  of  his  guilt,  that 
he  immediately  threw  up  his  situation  ; yet  the  whole  tri- 
bunal of  Senegal,  the  Governor  excepted,  did  acquit  Mons. 
Bourgerell,  and  sentenced  the  commodore  to  pay  the  costs 
'of  the  prosecution  ! We  have  also  undeniable  evidence,  that 
on  a late  visit  of  one  of  H.  M.  C.  Majesty’s  cruizers,  com- 
manded by  Villeneau,  to  the  Bissagos,  the  court  yards  of 
the  governor  and  civil  officers  u'ere  found  filled  up  with 
slaves  ready  for  sale  ; nay',  that  the  master  of  a Portuguese 
v'essel,  which  was  detained  for  attempting  to  carry’  slaves 
from  Ruisk,  near  Goree,  when  in  the  course  of  examination 
for  that  charge,  before  the  civil  authorities  of  Goree,  tender- 
ed an  affidavit,  stating,  in  his  defence,  that  as  the  slave  trade 
was  carried  on  openly  at  the  Bissagos,  he  could  not  be  pro- 
perly suspected  of  attempting  to  carry  on  a smuggling  trade 
of  that  description,  so  near  a French  station.”  16th  Report 
A.  I.  page  131. 

February  16,  1822.  “On  Friday  the  Thistle,  Lieutenant 
Hagan  commander,  arrived  from  a cruize  to  leeward.  We 
lament  to  find  that  the  cruize  of  this  vessel  only  furnishes 
additional  proofs  of  the  increased,  and  still  increasing  num- 
ber of  slave  vessels,  by  which  wretched  Africa  continues  to 
be  depopulated.  At  the  Gallinas,  the  Thistle  fell  in  w'ith 
the  bark  Phoenix  of  Havre  de  Grace,  and  the  brig  Lespoir  of 
Nante?  ; the  former  commanded  by  M.  Duprie,  and  the  lat- 
ter by  Philip  Lemp,reur,  a capitaine  de  fregate,  in  the  navy 
of  his  Most  Christian  Majesty.  These  vessels  expected  to 
take  in  their  slaves  in  a day  or  two,  their  tier  of  water-casks 
being  filled,  and  the  platforms  ready’  laid  to  receive  their 
victims.  Will  it  be  believed  that  M.  Lempreur,  came  on 
board  the  Thistle  in  the  full  dress  uniform  of  his  rank  in  the 
French  service,  and  stated,  amongst  other  things,  to  Lieu- 
tenant Hagan,  that  he  had  a few  evenings  before,  had  the 
gratification  of  meeting  an  old  friend  and  brother  officer,  in 
the  person  of  M.  Mauduit  du  Plessis,  captain  of  the  French 
brig  of  war  L’Huron,  and  commodore  of  this  station.”  p.  133. 

By  a protest  delivered  before  Charles  Pollock,  Notary 
Public  at  New  Orleans,  as  appears  by  his  certificates  dated 
6th  December  1821,  by  William  M.  Armstrong  prize  master, 
appointed  by  the  commander  of  the  U.  S.  ship  Hornet  to  take 
charge  of  a slave  vessel  La  Pense  which  belonged  to  Nantes, 
captured  by  a privateer  and  recaptured  by  the  Hornet;  it 
appears  that  on  the  12th  of  November  preceding,  they  took 
possession  of  said  brig,  and  found  on  board  239  slaves  en- 
tirely nakecl^  the  vessel  very’  short  of  provisions.  Between 
the  time  of  capture  and  the  24th,  twenty-seven  slaves  died 


19 


from  cold  and  other  causes.  The  cold  being  intense,  and 
the  crew  obliged  to  remain  on  deck  during  all  weathers,  to 
leave  room  below  foV  the  slaves.  The  ship  was  run  aground 
near  the  Balize,  Mississippi. 

Not  only  is  it  evident  from  the  foregoing  authentic  testi- 
mon)',  that  the  slave  trade  is  extensively  carried  on  under 
the  French  flag,  and  in  vessels  owned  by  French  citizens, 
fitted  out  in  the  ports  of  France,  but  the  following  extracts 
from  speeches  delivered  in  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  in  1821 
and  1822,  substantiate  the  assertion,  that  it  is  done  with  the 
knowledge  and  connivance  of  the  government  of  France. 
The  impunity  with  which  this  disgraceful  traffic  is  thus 
prosecuted,  has  increased,  if  possible,  the  hardihood  and  au- 
dacity of  those  engaged  in  it,  which  are  only  equalled  by  the 
barbarous  treatment  the  poor  sufferers  receive  at  their  hands. 

After  adverting  to  the  laws  of  other  nations  for  the  anni- 
hilation of  this  trade,  the  laxity  of  those  passed  by  France, 
and  their  repeated  violations  on  the  part  of  the  French  au- 
thorities on  the  coast  of  Africa,  B.  Constant  says  in  proof 
of  his  allegations,  “ I find  it  stated  in  a letter  from  Lord 
Castlereagh  to  Sir  C.  Stewart,  dated  the  8th  of  December 
last,  (1820)  that  the  English  squadron  on  the  coast  of  Af- 
rica, has  fallen  in  with  a number  of  vessels  bearing  the  French 
flag,  and  openly  engaged  in  the  slave  trade.  The  number  of 
vessels  thus  met  e.xceeds  25  ; and  Sir  G.  Collier,  on  entering 
the  harbour  of  the  Havanna,  found  there  upwards  of  35 
slave  ships  bearing  the  French  flag.” 

He  states  the  case  of  the  Elisa  of  Bordeaux,  having  car- 
ried a cargo  of  negroes  from  Africa  in  1818,  in  which  no 
prosecution  had  been  instituted,  although  original  docu- 
ments were  offered  to  prove  the  sale  and  purchase  of  the 
negroes,  bearing  on  them  the  name  of  the  vessel,  the  name 
of  the  captain,  the  name  of  the  purchaser,  and  shewing  that 
the  price  had  been  paid  into  the  hands  of  the  captain.  “ Do 
you  know,  gentlemen,”  says  he,  “ what  farther  has  been 
done  ? This  ship,  the  Elisa,  convicted  on  moral  evidence, 
because  the  functionaries,  dismissed  or  pensioned,  had  pur- 
chased negroes  for  her^  and  which  probably  would  have  been 
convicted  on  legal  proof,  had  it  been  thought  fit  to  ask  the 
petitioner  for  the  documents  which  he  possessed  ; — this  ship 
•was  neither  prosecuted  nor  confiscated,  but  was,  on  her  re- 
turn from  her  voyage,  purchased  from  the  captain  who  had 
carried  on  this  traffic,  by  the  governor  of  Senegal.” 

He  then  relates  the  instance  of  the  Rodeur  already  men- 
tioned, and  for  his  authority  refers  to  a periodical  work  pub- 
lished in  Paris  on  diseases  pf  the  eye,  into  which  it  was  intro- 


20 


duced  as  a case  of  extraordinary  ophthalmia.  The  account  was 
furnished  by  the  surgeon  who  had  lost  his  sight  by  the  epi- 
demic. He  then  proceeds  ; “ Gentlemen,  the  vessel  is  named, 
the  port  whence  she  sailed  is  pointed  out,  the  name  of  the 
captain  is  known,  the  surgeon  is  here  ; his  name  is  Maignan. 
You  cannot  then  think  it  extraordinary  that  I should  ask,  at  the 
eaid  of  18  months  after  the  fact  has  become  public,  whether 
the  captain  has  been  prosecuted,  and  whether  the  surgeon, 
who  witnessed  the  whole,  has  been  interrogated  ? I have 
much  reason  to  doubt,  that  any  thing  of  the  kind  has  been 
done  ; for  at  the  close  of  the  year  1820,  the  Rodeur  was  re- 
fitted for  an  adventure  of  the  same  kind,  under  the  same 
captain.”  Another  circumstance  he  mentions  as  a corrobora- 
tion of  his  doubts  ; in  the  copy  which  he  then  held  in  his  hand 
was  contained  these  “ horrible  words,”  “ thirty  nine  negroes 
ivere  thrown  overboard^"'  but  that  another  copy  had  been  is- 
sued with  these  words  omitted,  for  the  purpose,  as  he  be- 
lieves, “ of  obliterating  the  traces  of  a most  atrocious 
crime.”  He  thus  concludes  : “ The  traffic  is  still  carried  on, 
and  carried  on  with  impunity.  The  dates  of  the  departures, 
of  the  purchases,  of  the  arrivals,  are  known  ; advertise- 
ments are  published,  inviting  persons  to  take  shares  in  this 
trade.  The  only  attempt  at  concealment,  is  to  represent  the 
purchase  of  slaves,  as  the  purchase  of  mules^  on  the  coast  of 
Africa,  where  in  fact  there  are  no  mules.  The  traffic  is  con- 
ducted with  more  cruelty  than  ever  ; because  the  slave  cap- 
tains to  avoid  detection,  have  recourse  to  the  most  atrocious 
expedients  for  getting  rid  of  their  captives.  By  the  official 
reports  relative  to  La  Jeune  Estelle,  fourteen  negroes  were 
on  board.  The  vessel  was  stopped  and  examined,  but  no 
negro  could  be  found.  A search  was  instituted,  but  in  vain. 
At  last  a groan  was  heard  issuing  from  a cask.  It  was  open- 
ed, and  two  young  girls  from  ten  to  fourteen  years  of  age 
were  found  nearly  suffocated  within  it.  Several  casks  of  the 
same  form  and  dimensions  had  been  previously  thrown  over- 
board.” “ I call  upon  you  to  unite  with  me  in  demanding 
the  law  which  the  minister  has  promised.”  “ Above  all,  let 
this  law  repress  an  abuse  which  the  minister  admitted  last 
year,  and  which  he  appeared  to  regard  as  a thing  quite  na- 
tural. When  the  English  capture  and  confiscate  slave  ships, 
they- give  freedom  to  the  negroes;  but  on  asking  the  mi- 
nister what  had  been  done  with  the  negroes  confiscated  at 
Senegal,  he  replied  that  they  had  become  the  property  of  the 
government,  and  were  employed  in  the  works  of  the  Colony. 
Truth,  Gentlemen,  discovers  itself  through  this  smooth  ex- 
pression ; it  is  in  fact  saying,  that  In  spite  of  promises,  of 


21 


treaties,  and  of  roval  ordinances,  the  slave  trade  is  carried 
on  for  the  profit  of  the  state.  The  government  reaps  the 
sanguinary  fruits  of  the  crimes  which  it  punishes  ; and  Af- 
ricans, torn  from  their  country  in  despite  of  the  laws,  are 
nevertheless  made  slaves.” 

In  a speech  delivered  by  the  same  person  in  the  year  1822, 
he  says,  “I  will  not  repeat  the  facts  I adduced  last  year; 
unhappily,  however,  I can  adduce  new  ones.  I hold  in 
my  hand  the  judgment  pronounced  in  the  Vice  Admiralty 
Court  of  the  Mauritius  in  1821,  in  the  case  of  ‘ Le  Succes,* 
and  the  correspondence  found  on  board,  duly  authenticated, 
and  which  both  develops  the  nature,  and  establishes  the  mul- 
tiplicity, of  the  frauds  that  are  practised  by  the  slave  traders. 
Were  I to  produce  extracts  from  this  correspondence,  you 
would  be  astonished  at  the  facts  which  it  brings  to  light. 
You  would  then  see  the  impunity,  which  in  our  colonies, 
those  are  certain  of  enjoying  who  violate  the  laws  of  huma- 
nity, and  of  their  country.  Nay,  you  would  then  find  what 
is  scarcely  credible,  and  certainly,  deeply  to  be  deplored  ; 
that  men  invested  with  the  office  of  judge,  and  charged  to 
pronounce,  in  the  name  of  the  king,  the  sentence  of  the  law, 
on  this  most  execrable  crime,  do  not  scruple  themselves  to 
buy  slaves  of  the  very  persons  whom  their  duty  and  their 
oaths  bind  to  condemn.”  “ Why,  I ask,  is  it  that  this  trade, 
declared  infamous  as  it  is,  by  our  own  government,  and  pro- 
scribed by  all  the  governments  of  Europe,  is  continued  with 
such  audaciousness  ? Is  it  because  the  laws  are  inadequate  to 
its  suppression  ?”  “ The  miserable  man  who  commits  an  act 
of  common  delinquency,  incited  to  it  perhaps  by  seeing  his 
family  starving,  or  the  man  who  rashly  utters  some  senti- 
ment which  is  judged  to  be  injurious,  is  subjected  even  after 
he  has  undergone  a severe  punishment,  to  a surveillance,  to 
a privation  of  his  civil  rights  ; in  short,  to  measures  of  pre- 
caution, which  press  heavily  upon  him  for  a long  time  after 
his  crime  has  been  expiated  ; whilst  he  who  with  premedita- 
tion, proceeds  to  traffic  in  the  blood  and  sufferings  of  his 
fellow  creatures,  may,  even  after  he  has  been  convicted  and 
condemned,  march  with  his  head  erect,  protected  from  the 
horror  his  crimes  should  inspire,  and  enjoying  shamelessly 
the  fruit  of  his  infamous  adventure.” 

The  Due  de  Broglie,  in  a speech  delivered  in  the  same 
year,  having  reviewed  the  history  of  the  abolition  of  the 
African  slave  trade,  and  produced  a variety  of  cases  from 
official  documents,  shewing  that  it  is  still  prosecuted  by 
French  citizens,  notwithstanding  their  prohibitory  laws,  says, 
“ France  is  the  only  nation  that  has  not  enforced  the  aboli- 


22 


tiou  of  the  slave  trade,  by  the  infliction  of  corporal  and 
really  serious  punishments,  and  which  has  adopted  no  effica- 
cious and  really  menacing  measures  for  the  prevention  of 
the  trade  in  slaves.  Hence  it  happens  that  most  of  the  capi- 
tals destined  to  be  embarked  in  the  slave  trade,  are  directed 
towards  P' ranee  ; from  our  ports  are  despatched  most  of  the 
vessels,  the  object  of  whose  speculations  is  to  furnish  slaves 
to  the  colonies  of  every  other  nation.  There  is  reason  to 
believe,  that  a certain  degree  of  concert  already  exists,  for 
placing  these  speculations  under  the  protection  of  the  French 
flag,  and  that  we  are  now  in  a situation  which  enables  us  to 
make  those  who  are  disposed  to  purchase  this  odious  immu- 
nity, pay  dearly  for  it.  That  the  French  flag  thus  shelters 
the  slave  trade  of  foreigners  ; that  it  serves  to  protect  Eng- 
lish, Spanish,  or  Dutch  merchants  from  the  severities  of 
the  laws  of  their  respective  nations,  is  a misfortune  of  the 
existence  of  which  we  can  no  longer  entertain  a doubt.  The 
French  government  is  itself  convinced  of  this  fact.” 

“ A letter,  dated  Demarara,  August  18,  1820,  and  which 
forms  part  of  the  documents  officially  communicated  to  the 
English  parliament,  informs  us,  that  the  traffic  in  slaves 
which  is  carried  on  between  the  French  Antilles  and  Africa, 

' is  not  intended  merely  for  the  supply  of  those  Islands,  but 
that  Martinique  forms  an  intermediate  mart,  whence  nume- 
rous cargoes  of  negroes  are  daily  reshipped  to  Surinam  and 
other  colonies.  This  fact  is  moreover  fully  confirmed  by 
the  official  reports  made  to  the  English  government  by  its 
commissioners  at  Surinam.  If  such  be  the  case  already,  when 
most  of  the  laws  of  the  different  nations  of  Europe  relative 
to  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade  have  scarcely  begun  to  be 
enforced,  when  those  laws  are  yet  imperfect,  when  the  mea- 
sures taken  to  carry  them  fully  into  effect  are  yet  incomplete, 
what  may  be  expected,  when  the  union  which  exists  among 
the  different  maritime  powers,  shall  have  consolidated  and 
extended  their  operation  ? We  see  by  the  paper  laid  on  the 
table  of  the  English  House  of  Commons,  that  an  extensive 
traffic  in  slaves  is  still,  in  spite  of  the  laws,  carried  on  under 
the  Spanish,  Dutch,  and  Portuguese  flags  ; but  we  also  see 
that  numerous  condemnations  have  already  taken  place;  that 
the  obscure  and  questionable  points,  which  still  favour  fraud, 
are  the  subject  of  active  correspondence  and  reciprocal  ad- 
justment between  the  above  powers  and  England  ; that  new 
decrees  are  issued  when  they  are  found  necessary ; and  that 
the  doubtful  parts  of  the  laws  and  treaties,  are  interpreted 
according  to  the  generous  and  humane  spirit  which  dictated 
them.  In  proportion  therefore  as  the  engagements  of  this 


23 


kind  shall  be  strengthened  between  the  United  States,  Eng- 
land, the  Netherlands,  Spain,  and  Portugal ; in  proportion 
as  the  means  of  repression  shall  be  fortified  by  their  influence 
on  each  other,  and  perfected  by  experience,  the  traffic  carried 
on  under  the  flags  of  those  countries  will  become  more  and 
more  hazardous  ; it  will  soon  entirely  cease  ; it  will  be  con- 
centrated under  the  French  flag  ; our  colonies  will  become  a 
general  mart  where  all  other  colonies  may  supply  themselves 
as  they  wish,  eluding  by  means  of  a short  contraband  voy- 
age, the  vigilance  of  the  cruizers  stationed  on  the  coast  of 
Africa  ; our  ships  will  then  become  the  universal  vehicle  of 
this  universally  proscribed,  and  universally  detested  com- 
merce; and  France  will  at  length  enjoy  the  execrable  mo- 
nopoly of  a trade  in  human  flesh  and  blood,  of  a trade  which 
is  the  opprobrium  of  civilized  ages  and  nations.” 


The  following  extracts  from  the  16th  Report  of  the  Af- 
rican Institution  in  1822,  will  shew  the  state  of  the  slave 
trade  as  conducted  by  the  subjects  of  Portugal  and' Spain. 

PORTUGAL. 

“ In  this  work  of  iniquity  and  devastation,  Portugal  still 
takes  a prominent  part.  Her  restrictive  stipulations,  have 
been  attended  with  little  benefit  to  Northern  Africa,  for  they 
have  continued  to  be  most  grossly  and  extensively  violated 
by  her  subjects  ; some  even  of  her  public  functionaries,  go- 
vernors of  African  colonies,  have  not  scrupled  by  their  own 
practice,  openly  to  sanction  the  violation,  and  to  set  at 
nought  the  laws  they  were  bound  to  execute.  An  active 
slave  trade  has  been  unceasingly  carried  on  between  the  ad- 
joining Continent  and  the  Islands  of  Bissao  and  Cape  de 
Verd.  These  Islands  are  used  as  depots  for  the  slaves 
taken  thither  in  canoes  and  small  vessels,  by  French  and 
other  slave  traders,  with  the  view  of  being  afterwards  re- 
moved to  the  Havanna,  or  to  the  French  West  India  Islands. 
But  it  is  to  the  rivers  which  run  into  the  Bight  of  Benin, 
and  into  that  of  Biafra,  that  the  Portuguese  slave  ships  chiefly 
resort.  Many  such  vessels,  in  the  course  of  the  last  year, 
have  been  found  there  by  his  Majesty’s  ships,  completely 
furnished  with  all  the  implements  of  their  criminal  traffic, 
and  in  a state  of  readiness  to  embark  their  human  cargo. 

“ The  ordinary  course  of  proceeding  adopted  not  only  by 
the  Portuguese,  but  by  all  the  other  slave  traders  (excepting 


24  ■ 

the  French,  who  alone  pursue  their  trade  without  the  risk  of 
capture)  is  to  keep  the  slaves  whom  they  purchase  on  shore, 
until  the  very  day  on  which  they  may  deem  it  safe  to  com- 
mence their  voyage  ; and  when  they  have  ascertained  that 
there  are  no  cruizers  in  the  way  to  obstruct  their  passage, 
they  embark  their  cargo,  and  depart  forthwith  to  their  des- 
tined place  of  sale.  Such,  however,  is  the  number  of  vessels 
engaged  in  this  guilty  commerce,  that  notwithstanding  the 
facilities  of  escape  thus  afforded  them,  several  Portuguese 
ships  have  been  seized  in  the  course  of  the  last  year,  and 
condemned  by  the  Mixed  Commission  Courts.”  p.  6. 

In  a report  of  commodoi*e  G.  R.  Collier,  dated  December 
27,  1821,  he  says,  “ The  Portugvtese  will  cling  to  the  slave 
trade  as  long  as  it  shall  be  possible ; the  profits  are  so  large 
as  to  induce  all  risks  ; aiicl  vessels  of  this  nation  range  every 
part  of  the  coast,  whether  north  or  south,  enter  ever)^  port 
and  creek  where  a slave  is  to  be  purchased  ; and  many  small 
vessels  under  this  flag  are  still  employed  in  supplying  the 
slave  factories  of  Prince’s  Island  and  St.  Thomas.  Nothing 
can  more  strongly  mark  the  indifference,  the  people  who  na- 
vigate the  slave  vessels  of  Spain  and  Portugal  shew,  to  the 
miseries  they  inflict  on  the  unfortunate  Africans  in  their 
grasp,  than  the  manner  in  which  they  crowd  them  on  board 
their  schooners. 

“ In  two  small  vessels,  the  one  only  73  and  the  other  about 
160  tons,  captured  nearly  at  the  same  time  by  the  boats  of 
the  Tartar  and  Thistle,  there  were  700  slaves.  The  height 
of  between-decks  of  these  vessels  was  less  than  three  feet ; 
the  slaves  were  all  fettered  in  pairs,  jammed  (for  so  only 
can  I speak  when  I describe  their  situation)  one  within  the 
feet  of  the  other.  Fever,  dysentery,  and  all  the  train  of  hor- 
rible diseases  common  to  the  African  climate  (increased  by 
filth  so  foul,  and  stench  so  offensive  as  not  to  he  imagined) 
had  attacked  many  of  them  ; and  the  evident  consequences 
to  greater  part  of  the  slaves,  determined  me  to  seek  a remedy 
if  possible.  Several  of  the  slaves  died  notwithstanding  our 
best  efforts  ; and  I am  fully  persuaded,  few  of  those  cap- 
tured would  have  lived,  had  I suffered  those  in  fevers  to  re- 
main in  the  filthy  and  putrid  dungeons  of  the  slave  vessels.” 
p.  83. 

“In  February,  1821,  captain  Finlaison  of  the  Morgiana 
reported  to  me  his  having  captured  the  Emilia,  from  Onim, 
in  the  Bight  of  Biafra,  with  369  slaves,  and  that  many  other 
slave  vessels  had  been  seen  in  the  Bight.  The  Portuguese 
I master  of  the  Emilia  affirmed  in  my  presence,  that  he  came 
from  Malembo,  south  of  the  line,  though  it  is  proved  that 


25 


he  left  Onim  only  three  days  previously  to  his  capture  ; and 
the  xvounds  from  the  hot  iro7is  on  the  breasts  of  the  men^  and 
on  the  bosoms  of  the  women^  marking  the  property,  being  still 
fresh,  gave  further  evidence  of  his  falsehood.”  p.  99. 

“ The  slave  trade  at  Whydah  is  conducted  to  a very  great 
extent  by  a Portuguese  renegado,  named  de  Souza,  who,  ba- 
nished from  the  Brazils,  has  fixed  himself  at  Whydah,  where 
he  is  the  agent  or  slave  factor  to  the  Brazilian  nation,  and  lives 
in  prodigious  splendour ; assumes  the  rights  and  privileges 
of  a person  in  authority,  granting  papers  and  licenses  to  the 
slave  traders,  in  all  the  forms  and  confidence  of  one  empower- 
ed so  to  do  by  the  Portuguese  government.  The  extent  of 
the  slave  trade  at  Whydah,  may  be  judged  of  by  the  number 
of  Portuguese  vessels  anchoring  off  this  port  and  Lagos  an- 
nually, being  generally  calculated  at  100,  and  for  no  other 
purpose  than  to  obtain  slaves.”  p.  103. 

A letter  dated  27th  of  March,  1822,  states,  “ An  extensive 
trade  appears  to  be  kept  up  with  the  Cape  de  Verd  Islands, 
'from  the  Portuguese  settlements  of  Cacheo  and  Bissao,  and 
the  slave  traders  at  Cacheo  have  recently  given  their  traffic 
in  the  Rio  Grande,  a new  feature  of  barbarous  atrocity. 
They  visit  this  river  in  armed  sloops  and  boats,  and,  landing 
during  tbe  night,  carry  off  as  many  as  they  can  of  the  unfor- 
tunate inhabitants.”  p.  86. 

From  the  Sierra  Leone  Gazette,  August  31,  1822.  “The 
Portuguese  schooner  San  Jose  Hallacca,  prize  to  Lieutenant 
Hagan  of  the  Thistle,  and  condemned  in  the  Mixed  Court, 
affords  a melancholy  instance  of  the  unfeeling  and  atrocious 
manner  in  which  the  slave  trade  is  carried  on  to  Leeward. 
This  schooner,  or  rather  schooner  boat,  did  not  measure  7 
tons  burthen,  was  only  twenty-eight  feet  long,  and  the  space 
over  the  water-casks,  in  which  the  miserable  slaves  in  irons 
were  stowed,  was  barely  seventeen  inches  in  height ! From 
the  information  obtained  by  Lieutenant  Hagan  in  the  river 
Calabar,  and  corroborated  by  the  evidence  taken  in  this  co- 
lony, it  appears  that  30  negroes  were  put  on  board  this  boat 
in  the  Calabar ; that  they  were  at  sea  nearly  two  months 
without  being  able  to  make  Princes,  when  they  put  back  to 
Calabar  with  the  loss  of  ten  negroes,  literally  starved  and 
crushed  to  death.  It  was  at  this  period  the  boats  of  the 
Thistle  made  the  seizure,  and  rescued  the  remaining  twenty 
from  the  grasp  of  Duke  Ephraim,  in  whose  possession  they 
were.  The  state  to  which  these  poor  creatures  were  reduced 
when  received  on  board  the  Thistle,  Lieutenant  Hagan  de- 
scribes as  most  dreadful ; the  action  of  the  irons  on  their 
arms  and  ankles,  and  the  sores  produced  bv  the  small  casks 

D 


'26 


on  which  they  were  stowed,  added  to  their  extreme  state  of 
emaciation  and  debility,  presented  altogether  such  a specta- 
cle of  horror  and  suffering  humanity,  as  that  officer,  long  as 
he  had  been  on  this  coast,  never  before  witnessed. 

SPAIN. 

Although  the  Spanish  government  has  given  assurances  of 
lending  its  assistance  for  effectually  carrying  into  execution 
the  treaties  existing  between  her  and  Great  Britain,  for  the 
abolition  of  the  nefarious  commerce,  “ As  yet,  however,” 
says  the  report,  “ there  has  been  no  relaxation  of  that  trade 
in  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico.  Fewer  vessels,  indeed,  have  ap- 
peared on  the  African  coast  during  the  last  year  under  the 
Spanish  flag  ; but  the  importations  into  the  Island  of  Cuba, 
especially  under  the  flag  of  France,  have  been  large  ; while 
the  only  attempt  made  there  to  check  them,  by  bringing  one 
of  the  vessels  so  employed  before  the  Mixed  Commission 
Court  of  that  place,  proved  abortive.  The  whole  number  of 
Spanish  slave  ships  condemned  at  Sierra  Leone,  by  the 
Mixed  Commission  Court,  has  been  eleven,  of  which  three 
were  condemned  during  the  last  year.”  p.  12. 

G.  R.  Collier,  in  his  report  respecting  Spain,  says,  “ Al- 
though by  her  treaty  she  has  relinquished  the  trade,  her  sub- 
jects infest  the  coast  of  Africa  still ; in  the  period  of  the 
rains  they  become  most  active  ; as  then,  to  afford  some  pro- 
tection to  the  crews  of  his  Majesty’s  ships  from  the  destruc- 
tive consequences  of  the  most  unhealthful  part  of  the  season, 
these  necessarily  run  to  the  Cape  de  Verds  or  Ascension. 
And  I am  quite  satisfied,  as  suits  the  views  of  the  Spanish 
slaving  schooners,  they  at  one  time  act  as  pirates  against  all 
vessels  ; then  under  the  flag  of  Artigas,  as  South  American 
cruizers ; and  then,  when  it  shall  better  serve  them,  return 
to  the  practice  of  slaving ; and  a vessel  under  the  South 
American  flag,  professing  herself  a cruizer,  may  wait  a car- 
go of  slaves  off  the  port  where  they  may  be  collecting,  with- 
out power  on  the  part  of  a British  officer  to  prevent  her  doing 
so,  but  at  the  risk  of  his  ruin.”  p.  83. 

A communication  from  the  Havanna,  dated  1st  of  Sep- 
tember, 1821,  made  by  one  of  the  Commissioners  states,  that 
“Twenty-six  vessels  have  entered  the  port  of  Havanna  with 
slaves,  to  the  amount  of  6,415  since  the  31st  of  October, 
1820,  the  period  assigned  by  treaty  for  the  total  abolition  ot 
the  Spanish  slave  trade.  Of  these  vessels,  18  were  Spanish, 
5 French,  2 Portuguese,  and  1 American.  Not  one  of  these 
has  been  judicially  noticed  by  the  government  of  the  Island. 


27 


On  the  contrary,  the  merchants  declare,  they  received  as- 
surances that  their  vessels  entering  from  Africa  after  the 
31st  of  October,  would  not  be  molested.  Six  months  from 
that  time  were  mentioned  as  the  extent  of  such  immunity  ; 
butthe  10th  month  has  ended,  andslave  ships  still  enter  openly 
and  unquestioned.  Certain  it  is,  also,  that  vessels  are  still 
permitted  to  fit  out  for  the  slave  trade,  as  well  as  to  enter 
their  cargoes  from  Africa ; nor  has  any  order,  notice,  or 
/ other  public  document  been  issued,  declaratory  of  the  dis- 
approbation of  this  government,  or  an  intention  to  enforce 
. the  abolition  of  the  traffic.  With  respect  to  the  preventive 
influence  of  the  British  and  Spanish  cruizers,  it  is  to  be  ob- 
served, that  since  the  residence  of  the  Mixed  Commissioners 
in  this  city,  95  slave  ships  have  entered  the  port,  (26  of  them 
in  open  violation  of  the  treaty)  besides  about  40  others  in 
the  miner  parts  of  the  Island,  yet  not  one  of  these  has 
been  visited  or  detained  by  the  cruizers  of  either  power.” 
p.  109. 

“ Vessels  are  publicly  clearing  out  for  Africa,  whether  in 
legitimate  trade  for  gold  dust  and  ivory,  is  a doubt  that  is 
only  answered  here  by  a smile.  Two  schooners  are  now 
fitting  out  in  the  harbour  of  Havanna,  expressly  for  the  slave 
trade.  At  Mantangas,  Nuevitas,  Trinidad,  Barasoa,  and 
Batabano,  it  is  carried  on  with  perfect  impunity  ; and  it  is 
only  ten  days  ago,  that  a cargo  of  negroes,  landed  at  the  lat- 
ter port  from  a French  brig,  were  publicly  advertised  for 
sale  in  the  Havanna.  The  majority  of  the  vessels  that  have 
lately  sailed  on  the  well  understood  voyage  to  the  African 
coast,  have  cleared  out  for  other  destinations.  Some  to 
Montevideo,  others  to  Teneriffe,  Cape  Verd  Islands,  and 
Prince’s  Island.  The  A-oyage  is  patronized  bjkl some  persons 
of  established  credit,  and  accionistas  (or  share  holders)  are 
admitted  to  bear  its  charges.  The  shares  are  as  low  as  100 
dollars,  and  are  eagerly  sought  for.  When  the  vessel  re- 
turns from  Africa,  if  the  principal  owners  have  sufficient 
weight  and  influence,  she  touches  at  Puerto  Rico  and  provides 
herself  with  a passport,  for  the  total  or  surplus  cargo  to  this 
Island  ; thus  removing  all  subsequent  danger  of  seizure, 
under  Article  VII.  of  the  instructions  appended  to  the  treaty 
of  1817.  If  she  is  without  this,  she  directs  her  course 
through  the  Cayes,  which  lay  round  the  north  and  south 
east  part  of  the  Island,  into  one  of  the  bays  on  the  coast. 
The  cargo  is  frequently  bespoken  ; if  it  fs  not,  it  is  conveyed 
to  the  plantations  of  the  consignee,  and  either  sold  from 
thence  in  parcels,  or,  as  I have  known  in  several  instances, 


inarched  to  the  Havanna,  as  the  stock  of  a planter  about  to 
retire.”  p.  111. 

By  a subsequent  despatch,  dated  10th  December,  1821,  it 
appears  that  the  Spanish  members  of  the  Mixed  Commission, 
have  received  instructions  from  the  government,  “ to  carry 
punctually  into  effect,  in  all  their  proceedings,  the  stipula- 
tions of  the  slave  trade  abolition  treaty,  concluded  between 
Great  Bidtain  and  Spain  in  September,  1817” — “ And  that 
circular  orders  to  the  same  effect  have  been  received  by  the 
Captain  General,  the  Admiral,  and  the  Intendant,  with  di- 
rections to  communicate  the  same  to  the  several  branches  of 
I their  respective  departments.”  p.  112. 

It  was  but  a few  weeks  prior  to  the  date  of  the  above  des- 
patch, that  the  British  Commissioner  transmitted  with  a com- 
munication from  the  Havanna,  the  following  articles  of  in- 
telligence, published  in  the  official  paper  of  that  city,  viz. 

Departures  of  yesterday. 

1.  “ For  Africa,  Spanish  schooner  Vienna,  Captain  Don 
Vincente  Gomez,  with  goods  for  the  slave  trade. 

2.  “ For  the  same  destination,  Spanish  schooner  Icanam, 
Captain  Don  Antonio  Moreira,  with  ditto. 

“ The  above  vessels  were  openly  and  regularly  cleaVed 
out  at  the  Custom  House,  ‘ Para  la  Trata,’  a term  exclusively 
used  in  the  Spanish  islands  to  express  par  excellence  the 
slave  trade.”  ' 

By  these  public  notices.  It  is  evident  the  prosecution  of  the 
slave  trade  must  be  with  the  knowledge  and  consent  of  the 
government ; and  notwithstanding  the  instructions  just  re- 
cited, to  enforce  the  stipulations  of  the  abolition  treaty,  the 
trade  is  still  continued.  In  the  fore  part  of  the  succeeding 
year,  3 Spanish  vessels,  one  having  325  slaves  on  board, 
were  condemned  in  the  Mixed  Commission  Court  at  Sierra 
Leone,  and  one  other  with  380  negroes,  taken  possession  of 
by  the  Iphigenia,  was  unhappily  upset  in  a tornado,  and  only 
11  persons  saved;  16  of  the  crew  of  the  Iphigenia  and  2 
officers  being  among  those  lost.  In  addition  to  these,  the 
following  instance  is  a further  proof  of  the  facility  with 
which  such  clearances  are  made  at  the  Havanna,  and  of  the 
indifference  of  the  officers  of  that  government  respecting 
the  abolition  of  this  commerce. 

From  the  Sierra  Leone  Gazette^  October  12,  1822. 

“ British  and  Spanish  Court  of  Mixed  Commission,  Oc- 
tober 1st.  Schooner  Josefa,  alias  Maracagerca,  Josef  May- 
ona,  master.  This  vessel,  of  90  Spanish  tons  burthen,  with 


29 


•a  crew  of  21  men,  armed  with  one  long  18  pounder,  21 
muskets,  nine  cutlasses,  12  pikes  and  6 pistols,  with  ammu- 
nition in  proportion,  cleared  out  from  the  Havanna  on  the 
6th  of  April  last  for  the  coast  of  Africa,  ostensibly  for  a 
cargo  of  ivory,  wax,  dyewoods,  &c.  The  clearance  was 
signed  by  the  regular  officer,  ‘ Nicolas  de  Foro,’  who  signed 
a clearance  for  this  same  vessel,  Don  Juan  Baptista  Zavala 
being  master,  in  August  1821,  for  a similar  voyage.  In  this 
last  mentioned  clearance,  it  was  stated  that  she  was  to  land 
some  ‘ free  negroes’  in  Africa ; but  does  not  mention  who 
or  what  they  were,  nor  where  to  be  landed.  After  leaving 
the  Havanna,  the  Josefa  called  at  the  Gallinas  on  this  coast, 
then  at  Grand  Bassa,  and  finally  entered  the  river  Bonny, 
where  her  cargo  was  delivered,  and  a return  cargo  of  slaves 
purchased.  Whilst  lying  in  that  river,  with  water-casks  full, 
platforms  laid,  and  waiting  for  her  cargo,  she  was  boarded 
in  the  latter  end  of  July,  by  Lieutenant  Saumarez,  in  com- 
mand of  the  boats  of  his  Majesty’s  ship  Driver  ; but  there 
being  no  slaves  actually  on  board,  he  was  unwillingly  obliged 
to  leave  her,  after  taking  the  precaution  of  endorsin.g  her  pa- 
pers. She  crossed  the  Bonny  bar  on  the  18th  of  August, 
and  was  met  the  same  day  by  the  Driver,  which  had  returned 
in  search  of  her,  and  after  a long  chase,  was  captured  at  eight 
next  morning,  having  on  board  216  slaves,  all  males,  and 
with  a small  exception,  all  men.  Captain  Woolrige  imme- 
diately sent  her  to  this  place.  The  case  being  clear,  the 
Commissioners  passed  sentence  of  condemnation  without 
any  remarks.” 


NETHERLANDS. 

“ In  the  supplementary  report  of  last  year,  a detailed  ac- 
count was  given  of  the  manner  in  which  the  treaties  and  abo- 
lition laws  of  the  Netherlands  had  been  violated,  by  the 
large  importation  of  slaves  into  Surinam,  which  had  been 
openly  permitted  by  the  local  authorities,  and,  in  defiance  of 
the  remonstrances  made  by  our  government,  with  a view  to 
put  a stop  to  this  breach  of  faith.  In  consequence  of  these 
remonstrances,  the  king  of  the  Netherlands  issued  on  the 
21st  of  April,  1821,  a new  decree  on  the  subject,  which, 
though  it  professed  to  prohibit  and  punish  the  importation 
of  slaves  into  Surinam,  did  in  fact,  only  open  the  ports  of 
that  colony  more  widely  for  their  admission ; diminishing 
at  the  same  time,  instead  of  raising,  the  penalties  attached 
to  such  importations  as  might  still  be  deemed  illicit.  The 
attention  of  his  Majesty’s  minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  was 


30 


early  directed  to  this  extraordinary  decree.  The  result  ap- 
pears to  be,  that  no  effectual  check  has  yet  been  put  to  the 
importation  of  slaves  into  the  Dutch  colonies.  This  state- 
ment is  confirmed  by  a letter,  dated  from  the  colony  in  Feb- 
ruary last ; the  writer  of  which  affirms,  “ that  thousands  of 
new  negroes  have  been  imported  into  Surinam,  since  the 
Mixed  Commission  had  been  sitting  there ; and  that  there 
was  no  doubt,  the  importation  would  be  continued  unless 
very  strong  and  decisive  measures  were  adopted.”  I6th  re- 
port A.  I.  p.  13. 

UNITED  STATES. 

The  government  of  the  United  States,  having  declared 
that  any  of  its  citizens  who  engage  in  the  slave  trade,  shall  be 
adjudged  pirates,  and  manifested  a determination  to  carry 
the  law  into  effect,  this  traffic  under  the  American  flag  has 
very  much  ceased.  But  as  the  French  nation  has  refused  to 
permit  vessels  carrying  their  flag  to  be  examined  by  the 
cruizers  of  others,  and  have  adopted  no  efficient  measures 
to  prevent  its  abuse,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  flag  is 
often  assumed,  to  cover  the  contraband  traders  of  other  na- 
tions. Although  the  instances  of  the  assumption  of  the 
French  or  Spanish  character  by  the  citizens  of  the  United 
States  arc  not  ascertained  to  be  numerous,  yet  there  are  suf- 
ficient reasons  to  fear,  that  American  capital  and  citizens 
are  often  protected  in  this  illicit  traffic  by  the  flag  of  one  or 
the  other  of  these  nations.  The  American  cruizers  having 
been  restrained  from  visiting  vessels  under  foreign  flags,  the 
number  of  slave  ships  sent  into  the  United  States  for  adju- 
dication has  been  small. 

The  following  extracts  from  official  documents,  together 
with  those  already  presented,  exhibit  some  of  the  facts  con- 
nected with  the  slave  trade  as  pursued  by  American  citi- 
zens, and  the  part  the  government  has  taken  in  its  sup- 
pression. 

Extract  of  a communication  on  the  state  of  the  Slave  Trade^ 
made  by  E.  Ayres^  principal  Agent  for  the  Coast  of  Africa, 
to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  dated  Baltimore,  February 
24,  1823. 

“ To  form  a just  estimate  of  the  operation  of  the  measures 
which  have  been  made  use  of,  it  will  be  necessary  to  take  a 
view  of  the  state  of  that  trade  previous  to  the  passage  of  the 


31 


late  act  of  Congress  declaring  it  piracy,  and  making  it  pu- 
nishable l)y  death. 

“ I was  informed  by  an  American  officer  who  had  been  on 
the  coast  in  1820,  that  he  had  boarded  20  American  vessels 
in  one  morning,  lying  in  the  port  of  Gallinas,  and  fitted  for 
the  reception  of  slaves.  It  is  a lamentable  fact,  that  most 
of  the  harbours,  between  the  Senegal  and  the  line,  were  vi- 
sited by  an  equal  number  of  American  vessels,  and  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  carrying  away  slaves.  Although  for  some  years 
the  coast  had  been  occasionally  visited  by  our  cruizers,  their 
short  stay  and  seldom  appearance,  had  made  but  slight  im- 
pression on  those  traders,  rendered  hardy  by  repetition  of 
crime,  and  avaricious  by  excessive  gain.  They  were  ena- 
bled by  a regular  system,  to  gain  intelligence  of  any  cruizer 
being  on  the  coast,  and  to  conceal  by  false  information  their 
own  condition.  If  an  armed  vessel  approached  the  harbour, 
they  could  get  intelligence  in  time  to  land  their  slaves,  if 
any  had  been  taken  on  board,  and  assume  the  character  of 
a lawful  trader,  or  avoid  the  track  of  the  cruizer  for  the  few 
days  she  remained  on  the  coast,  when  she  would  return, 
seize  her  prey,  and  proceed  in  safety  to  the  destined  market 
without  fear  of  molestation.  This  was  the  state  of  the  trade 
previous  to  the  late  operations  on  the  coast : but  since  the 
passage  of  the  late  law,  and  especially  since  planting  a colony 
of  Americans  on  that  coast,  it  was  thought  our  cruizers 
would  have  such  facility  in  gaining  immediate  intelligence 
of  the  presence  of  traders  being  on  the  coast,  and  believing 
no  doubt  that  the  law  was  not  an  empty  threat,  but  would 
be  followed  by  a sufficient  force  kept  there  to  carry  the  law 
into  effectual  operation,  these  vultures  of  human  prey  have 
thought  it  too  hazardous  to  attempt,  and  have  Udarly  aban- 
doned the  trade. 

“ There  has  been  but  one  instance  for  the  last  two  years,  of 
sufficient  hardihood  to  hoist  the  American  colours  in  this  in- 
human trade.  This  one  was  the  case  of  the  schooner  Dol- 
phin of  Charleston,  Captain  Pearson.  A British  officer  of 
commodore  Mends’  squadron,  boarded  the  Dolphin  while 
lying  in  the  Rio  Pongos,  fitted  for  the  reception  of  slaves, 
and  waiting,  as  I was  informed,  it  appeared  on  her  examina- 
tion at  Freetown,  to  take  in  her  cargo  ; Pearson  knowing 
the  British  would  not  capture,  and  believing  himself  secure, 
as  there  was  no  American  armed  vessel  on  the  coast  af- 
ter the  departure  of  the  Alligator.  Commodore  Mends, 
who  arrived  on  the  coast  shortly  after  the  departure  of 
Lieutenant  Stock^qn,  seeing  the  defenceless  state  of  the 
trade  in  the  absence  of  American  cruizers,  offered  to  re- 


32 


pair  the  Augusta,  which  had  become  unseaworthy  for  want 
of  repairs,  to  arm  her  at  his  own  expense ; and  place  a 
lieutenant  and  25  men  on  board  under  the  command  of  Mr. 
Hunter,  to  cruize  until  the  arrival  of  an  American  vessel. 
Should  the  capture  be  an  American,  Hunter  was  to  take  charge 
of  her ; if  a vessel  amenable  to  the  laws  of  England,  she  was 
to  be  a prize  to  the  British  officer.  Mr.  Hunter  accepted 
the  offer,  when  Lieutenant  Clarkson  and  the  above  comple- 
ment of  men  were  put  on  board.  The  Augusta  was  so  far 
repaired  as  to  enable  her  to  proceed  to  the  Rio  Pongos. 
The  Dolphin  was  taken  possession  of,  and  carried  to  Free- 
town, where  an  examination  was  had  by  the  judicial  autho- 
rities of  that  place  ; and  it  appearing  that  she  was  actually,  in 
the  opinion  of  the  court,  intending  to  carry  slaves,  though 
not  recognizable  by  that  court,  Mr.  Hunter  determined  to 
send  her  to  the  United  States  for  adjudication.  There  being 
no  naval  officer  on  that  station  under  whose  charge  he  could 
place  the  prize,  he  engaged  the  mate  of  a vessel  then  in 
Freetown  to  take  charge  of  her,  with  orders  to  proceed  to 
New-York,  in  whose  hands  he  placed  a copy  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  court,  and  the  evidence  taken  on  the  case. 
This  vessel,  I am  informed  by  the  newspapers,  arrived  in 
Charleston,  S.  C.  a short  time  before  my  arrival  in  this 
country. 

“ Hunter  and  Clarkson  discovered  a vessel  lying  in  Gallinas 
harbour,  Baltimore  built  with  an  American  crew,  but  a no- 
minal Danish  Captain  and  under  Danish  colours,  but  with- 
out papers  from  any  government.  This  vessel  had  5 slaves 
on  board,  but  when  seeing  the  Augusta  approach  they  were 
landed,  and  placed  in  a factory  with  70  others,  which  they 
had  just  before  began  to  place  on  board.  This  vessel  was 
taken  into  custody  and  carried  to  Freetown,  where  she  was 
examined  in  the  Court  of  Mixed  Commission,  and  con- 
demned to  the  use  of  the  captors.  These  two  were  the 
only  cases  of  American  vessels  which  were  heard  of  on  the 
coast  for  slaves  during  my  stay  in  Africa.  By  subsequent 
arrivals,  it  appears,  there  have  some  few  ventured  since  that 
time  to  take  off  cargoes  of  slaves.” 

Although  our  flag  has  nearly  ceased  to  be  disgraced  by 
this  inhuman  traffic,  it  is  yet  to  be  feared  that  much  Ame- 
rican capital  is  still  employed  in  the  trade  under  the  protec- 
tion afforded  by  the  French  and  Spanish  flags,  as  some  of 
our  citizens  have  occasionally  been  heard  of  on  board  of 
French  and  Spanish  vessels. 


33 


Extract  of  a Letter  from  Captain  Edward  Trenchard^  of  U.  S. 
Ship  Cuane^  dated  off  the  Gallinas,  Western  Coast  of  Af- 
rica, April  10,  1820.' 

“ Having  obtained  information  at  Sierra  Leone,  that  several 
vessels  of  a suspicious  character  were  olF  the  Gallinas,  I im- 
mediately proceeded  there  ; and  early  in  the  morning  of  the 
5th  of  April,  discovered  7 sail,  1 brigand  6 topsail  schooners, 
close  in  shore.  On  perceiving  us,  they  made  all  sail  and 
stood  off ; it  being  nearly  calm,  I instantly  despatched  the 
Cyane’s  boats,  properly  officered  and  manned,  in  pursuit, 
who  succeeded  in  taking  possession,  and  bringing  along  side 
6 .of  them,  viz. 

Schooner  Dasher,  Thomas  Munro,  Danish,  from  St.  Eustatiai 
Eliza,  Constant  Hastings,  Martinico. 

Brig  La  Anita,  A.  D.  Pedro  Puche,  Matanzas. 

Schooner  Lorise,  Francoine  Sablon.  do. 

Esperanza,  Lewis  Mumfordt,  Charleston,  S.  C. 

Endymion  of  Baltimore,  commanded  by  Alex- 
ander M‘Kim  Andrews,  a midshipman  in  the  U.  S.  service, 
as  per  naval  register  of  1820.  The  Esperanza  and  Endy- 
mion, I consider  as  lawful  prizes,  they  being  evidently  Ame- 
rican vessels  engaged  in  the  slave  trade  in  contravention  of 
the  laws  of  the  United  States,  passed  April  20,  1818,  and 
March  3,  1819,  for  the  suppression  of  the  traffic. 

Midshipman  Andrewscommandingthe  Endymion,  on  per- 
ceiving the  approach  of  the  Cyane’s  cutter,  attempted  to 
make  his  escape  to  the  shore  in  his  boat,  he  was  pursued, 
overtaken  and  brought  on  board.  At  first  he  assumed  an 
air  of  indifference,  and  totally  denied  his  vessel  to  be  Ame- 
rican, or  his  being  concerned  in  the  slave  trade  ; but  after 
finding  we  were  in  possession  of  his  papers  and  going  to 
make  a prize  of  him,  his  confidence  forsook  him,  and  he  ac- 
knowledged his  vessel  was  American  and  engaged  in  the 
traffic  of  slaves.  An  investigation  took  place  next  morn- 
ing by  the  commissioned  officers  of  the  Cyane,  and  Mr. 
M‘Cartn,  coast  pilot,  authorized  by  me  for  the  purpose, 
who  reported  that  they  considered  the  Endymion  and  Espe- 
ranza as  lawful  prizes  ; a copy  of  this  report  I have  the 
honour  to  enclose.  The  others  not  exhibiting  sufficient 
marks  to  identify  them,  I did  not  think  proper  to  detain. 
On  board  of  the  Esperanza,  was  found  a blank  Spanish 
journal,  on  one  of  the  leaves  of  which  I found  endorsed  and 
signed  by  Sir  G.  R.  Collier,  commodore  of  his  B.  M.  ship 

E 


34 


Tartar,  that  he  had  fell  in  with  her,  and  considered  her  to  be- 
an American  vessel,  engaged  in  the  slave  trade  under  colour 
of  Spanish  papers,  that  the  owner  was  an  American  of  the 
name  of  C.  Radcliff,  then  on  shore.  I also  was  informed 
that  one  C.  Radcliff  (corresponding  with  the  indorsement 
of  Sir  G.  R.  Collier  cm  the  Spanish  journal)  and  another 
citizen  of  the  United  States,  were  about  6 miles  in  the  in-^ 
terior  of  the  country,  with  a horde  of  natives  around  them 
devoted  to  the  service,  who  appeared-  to  be  chief  agents  in 
the  purchase  of  slaves,  but  unapproachable  from  the  nature 
of  the  country  and  hostility  of  the  inhabitants  towards  ves- 
sels of  war,  under  an  apprehension  instilled  into  them  by- 
slave  dealers,  that  ships  of  war  interrupt  the  commerce,  and 
are  unfriendly  towards  them.  In  fact  I have  no  doubt,  but 
there  is  at  present  collected  near  the  coast,  hundreds,  perhaps 
thousands,  of  unhappy  victims  destined  for  slavery  ; and 
property  to  a large  amount  deposited  on  shore  in  exchange 
for  them,  only  waiting  an  opportunity  to  accomplish  their 
purpose.  I must  however  remark,  that  all  the  vessels  ho- 
vering on  this  coast,  are  similar  in  respect  to  size,  fitments, 
and  general  appearance,  sharp  built,  and  no  doubt  American 
built  vessels,  in  general  topsail  schooners.” 

Lieutenant  Stockton  of  the  U.  S.  schooner  Alligator, 
having  taken  possession  of  4 schooners  on  the  African  coast, 
and  ordered  them  to  the  U.  S.  for  adjudication  ; in  the  ac- 
count of  the  capture,  and  the  facts  proving  the  character  of 
the  vessels,  transmitted  to  the  Navy  Department,  dated  May 
27,  1821,  he  has  the  following  observations  : — 

“ All  these  facts  can  be  established,  yet  it  is  possible  there 
may  be  some  difficulty  in  persuading  men  generally,  to  be- 
lieve in  the  adroitness  and  fraud  with  which  this  trade  is 
prosecuted.  The)^  have  almost  reduced  it  to  a science,  and 
heretofore  in  the  disguise  of  Frenchmen,  and  with  the  facilities 
afforded  them  in  the  West  Indies,  have  made  certain  calcu- 
lations with  regard  to  their  success,  laughing  at  the  exer- 
tions of  all  Christendom  to  put  an  end  to  it.  They  will 
stand  convicted  by  their  own  testimony.  Though  my  cruize 
has  not  been  conspicuous  or  successful ; though  I have  not 
given  actual  liberty  to  more  than  two  slaves,  still  I have 
great  satisfaction  in  the  reflection,  that  I have  procrastinated 
the  slavery  of  some  eight  hundred,  and  broken  up  this  hor- 
rible traffic  to  the  northward  of  Cape  Palmas  for  at  least  this 
season.” 

At  the  request  of  the  Secretary,  he  furnished  a statement 
containing  a more  minute  detail  of  his  reasons  for  making 


35 


laid  captures,  from  which  the  subjoined  extracts  are  taken, 
viz ; 

“ The  U.  S.  schooner  Alligator  under  my  command,  ar- 
rived oit  the  coast  of  Africa  in  the  month  of  May  last,  1821, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Pongos  ; Irom  this  place  we  pro- 
ceeded to  Sierra  Leone,  where  we  were  informed  that  there 
were  several  vessels  on  the  coast  further  south  trafficking 
for  slaves.  On  this  information  I immediately  proceeded 
to  the  river  Gallinas;  in  my  passage  thither  I boarded  a small 
sloop,  which  left  the  Gallinas  on  the  morning  of  that  day,  and 
was  informed  by  her  that  there  were  two  schooners  lying  in 
that  river,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  slaves  on  board  ; I 
found  one  of  the  schooners  there  at  anchor,  and  took  pos- 
session of  her.  She  was  represented  to  be  La  jeune  Eugene, 
and  I ordered  her  to  the  U.  S.  She  has,  as  you  are  inform- 
ed, arrived  at  Boston,  and  will  there  be  tried  in  the  usual 
course.  Proceeding  still  southwards,  we  arrived  at  Triton,  oi? 
Tradetown,  where  I took  possession  of  three  other  schooners, 
viz.  La  Daphnee,  La  Matilda  and  L’Elize,  and  ordered  them 
also  to  the  U.  S.  These  three  vessels  were  afterwards  recap- 
tured by  a revolt  of  their  original  officers  and  crews,  and 
have  never  arrived  in  the  U.  S.  I shall  now  proceed  to 
shew  in  each  case,  the  evidence  relative  to  the  occupation 
and  character  of  these  vessels.  I will' begin  with  the  La 
Daphnee.  This  schooner  was  taken  possession  of  in  the  af- 
ternoon of  the  24th  of  May,  1821,  in  the  road  of  Triton,  or 
Tradetown.  I had  received  information  from  a person  at 
Grand  Bissa,  whom  I had  sent  down  the  coast  to  collect  in- 
telligence with  regard  to  such  vessels  as  were  trading  there, 
that  there  was  a cargo  of  slaves  collected  at  Tradetown  for  a 
schooner  lying  in  the  roads,  the  mate  of  which  was  on  shore 
preparing  them  for  embarkation  ; and  that  they  would  be 
sent  on  board  the  night  of  the  next  day.  I left  Bissa,  cal- 
culating to  arrive  at  Tradetown  at  or  about  the  time  the 
slaves  would  have  been  embarked  on  board  the  schooner. 
On  my  approach  to  Tradetown,  1 descried  two  schooners 
lying  in  the  roads,  which  proved  to  be  La  Daphnee  and  La 
Matilda ; the  former  of  which  had  a French  flag  flying  at  her 
main,  and  a Dutch  flag  at  the  foremast  head,  the  latter 
having  a French  flag  at  her  main.  I entered  and  anchored 
in  the  roads  without  boarding  or  molesting  either  of  these 
vessels,  whose  movements  it  was  my  object  to  observe. 
Some  short  time  after  coming  to  an  anchor,  the  command- 
ing officer  (Mr.  Guoy)  of  La  Daphnee,  came  on  board  of  the 
Alligator.,  mistaking  her  for  La  jeune  Eugene  Such  infor- 
^ mation  was  obtained  from  him  before  the  discovered  his  mis- 


36 


talce,  as  confirmed  the  previous  account  I had  received,  and 
left  no  doubt  that  La  Daphnee  was  engaged  in  the  slave 
trade.  I was  satisfied  from  the, external  appearance  of  this 
vessel,  that  she  was  an  American  bottom,  and  of  that  de- 
scription of  vessels  called,  by  way  of  distinction,  Baltimore 
built  vessels : and  being  fully  convinced  she  was  concern- 
ed in  the  slave  trade,  I presumed  of  course  the  colours 
she  had  hoisted  were  assumed  for  the  occasion,  and  not  true  ; 
for  it  was  well  understood  that  the  slave  trade  had  been  de- 
nounced by  both  nations  whose  protection  she  appeared  to 
claim.  I therefore  took  possession  of  her,  and  found  her  to 
be  an  American  built  schooner  of  about  120  tons,  as  near  as 
I could  judge.  She  was  said  by  Mr.  Gouy  to  be  com- 
manded by  a Captain  Allaine,  but  that  he  (Mr.  Gouy)  had 
at  that  moment  the  command  of  her.  She  had  two  decks  ; the 
lower,  or  birth  deck,  was  such  as  vessels  in  this  trade  are 
usually  provided  with,  and  the  upper  deck  furnished  with 
gratings  for  the  admission  of  air  and  light,  and  secured  by 
bars  and  locks.  Slave  ships  are  known  usually  to  have 
such  decks,  and  as  no  other  mercantile  vessels  are  provided 
with  them,  the  inference  is  manifest.  Again,  the  extraor- 
dinary supply  of  water  and  rice  which  was  on  board,  is  it- 
self deemed  convincing  evidence  of  her  occupation : there 
was  a quantity  on  board  equal  to  5 or  6000  gallons,  obvi- 
ousl}'  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  possible  wants  of  the  crew. 
In  the  next  place,  the  number  of  her  crew  being  19,  greatly 
exceeded  the  ordinary  complement  of  that  size,  if  engaged 
in  a lawful  trade.  Shackles  for  slaves  and  other  moveable  ar- 
ticles were  not  expected  to  be  found  on  board,  for  it  was  un- 
derstood to  be  the  practice  of  slave  ships,  to  land  such 
articles  at  the  time  of  arrival.  From  a consideration  of 
the  past  circumstances,  which  I have  now  mentioned,  it 
seemed  impossible  to  doubt  the  business  of  this  vessel.  Sub- 
sequent discoveries  prove,  that  in  relying  on  them,  I did  not 
deceive  myself,  or  come  to  any  wrong  conclusion.  She  ap- 
peared to  have  cleared  from  Point  a Petre  (Guadaloupe) 
for  Prince’s  Island  in  the  Gulph  of  Guinea,  whither  she  had 
not  been,  nor  had  she  been  south  of  Cape  Palmas,  as  I was 
informed  by  the  officers  and  crew.  Part  of  the  cargo  had 
been  landed,  and  of  that  which  remained  on  board,  con- 
sisting of  rum,  tobacco,  small  arms,  gunpowder,  &c.  a con- 
siderable proportion,  in  being  compared  with  the  manifest 
or  clearance,  was  not  included  in  that  document.  A num- 
ber of  memoranda  shewing  the  reception  or  disposal  of  ne- 
groes, male  and  female,  and  two  letters  establishing  the  fact 
of  her  being  engaged  in  the  slave  trade,  were  found  among 


37 


her  papers.  One  of  these  letters  was  from  Captain  Allaine, 
the  ostensible  captain  of  the  vessel,  to  Mr.  Gouy,  who  was 
the  officer  in  command  at  the  time  of  seizure,  dated  May 
12th,  1821,  urging  despatch  in  making  preparation  for  the 
reception  of  slaves,  and  reminding  him  of  the  proximity  of 
the  sickly  season.  The  other  letter  was  from  Mr.  Labalette, 
the  officer  who  was  on  shore  purchasing,  to  the  above  named 
Mr.  Gouy,  dated  May  22d,  1821,  relative  to  the  number  of 
slaves  the  Daphnec  could  carry,  and  stating  that  there  were 
then  on  shore  190,  ready  to  be  embarked  on  board  La  Ma- 
tilda, the  other  schooner  that  has  been  alluded  to  as  lying  in 
the  same  roadstead.  There  was  another  letter  found  on 
board  in  possession  of  the  captain  of  the  Matilda,  addressed 
by  Mr.  Gouy  to  Mr.  Pisten  or  some  other  person  at  Gua- 
daloupe,  in  which  he  states  the  success  of  the  enterprise,  and 
the  number  of  slaves  La  Daphnee  would  probably  carry.  It 
seems  this  letter  was  sent  on  board  La  Matilda,  she  being  on 
the  eve  of  her  departure  for  the  West  Indies,  having  her 
slaves  prepared  for  embarkation.  The  confession  of  Mr. 
Gouy,  after  his  seizure,  that  La  Daphnee  had  come  to 
the  coast  for  slaves,  was  a corroboration  of  the  truth  of  the 
circumstances  that  had  induced  me  to  take  possession  of  her. 
The  captain  was  landed  at  Cape  Messurada,  some  distance 
to  the  northward  of  Tradetown.  The  absence  of  Captain 
Allaine  and  one  of  his  officers  (Mr.  Labalette)  was  ac- 
counted for  by  supposing  it  to  be  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
curing slaves.  Mr.  Labalette  was  on  shore  at  Tradetown 
for  the  same  purpose  ; and  the  vessel  after  having  received 
them  that  were  procured  by  Mr.  Labalette,  was  to  go  to 
Cape  Messurada  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  on  board  Cap- 
tain Allaine  and  the  rest  of  his  complement.  There  were 
found  on  board  some  permits  to  receive  part  of  her  cargo, 
stating  her  to  be  a Dutch  vessel,  under  the  command  of 
Captain  Fromentin,  which  double  set  of  papers  seemed  to 
account  for  her  having  flags  of  two  nations  flying  at  the 
same  time.  On  the  morning  after  her  seizure,  two  slaves 
were  delivered  on  board,  but  suspecting  all  was  not  right, 
the  person  who  brought  them  jumped  overboard  and  escaped 
to  the  shore.  Three  slaves  were  left  on  board  La  Daphnee 
to  the  care  of  Lieutenant  Inman,  who  was  charged  with  the 
duty  of  conducting  her  to  the  U.  S.  These  evidences  were 
recorded  at  the  time  of  her  seizure,  and  the  original  papers 
were  intended  to  be  transmitted  to  the  U.  S.  in  the  schooner, 
but  her  recapture  prevents  them  being  produced  ; but  the 
principal  circumstances  are  confirmed  by  the  extract  of  a 
letter  addressed  byLieutenant  Inman  to  me  after  his  arrival 


38 


in  the  U.  S.  In  allusion  to  the  conduct  of  the  vessel  and 
her  commander,  he  says,  that  after  her  recapture  ‘ He  im- 
mediately bore  up,  hoisted  the  white  flag  at  the  main,  and 
made  sail  to  the  northward  and  eastward  ; they  were  so  for- 
tunate as  with  a very  favourable  gale  to  reach  Triton  in  50 
hours.  They  anchored  on  the  morning  of  the  12th  : Mr. 
Labalette  the  chief  mate  came  on  board,  and  assured  us 
we  had  nothing  to  fear ; that  we  should  be  landed  on  the 
coast  for  a few  days,  and  gave  us  his  word  of  honour  we 
should  not  be  left  there.  We  were  immediately  landed,  and 
received  by  Mr.  Tallon,  mate  of  the  Matilda  : he  assured 
us  that  we  should  not  be  molested,  led  us  to  his  house,  and 
during  the  14  days  we  remained,  we  were  well  treated  by 
him  and  Labalette,  who  sent  the  Daphnee  to  cruize. 
Tallon  had  his  complement  of  250  slaves  ready  when  the 
Matilda  left  Triton.  Labalette  had  160,  and  Allaine  was 
at  Messurada  collecyng  the  remainder.  In  the  course  of 
our  stay,  the  schooner  Point  a Petre  called  at  Triton  and 
took  part  of  Tallon’s  cargo  which  she  bought,  and  part  in 
consideration  of  slave  for  slave  as  freight.  In  14  days  La 
Daphnee  returned,  the  slaves  embarked,  and  she  proceeded 
to  Messurada.  Captain  Allaine  then  brought  the  residue  of 
the  slaves  on  board,  and  after  disposing  of  the  men  as  above, 
we  made  sail  for  Guadaloupe,  olF  which  place  we  arrived  the 
27th  of  July.  This  cargo  was  landed  in  a few  moments  at 
the  town  of  St.  Francois,  and  Captain  Allaine,  who  was  very 
ill  on  the  passage,  went  on  shore.  They  immediately  made 
sail  for  St.  Barts.  Such  are  the  proofs  with  regard  to  the 
real  object  of  La  Daphnee’s  voyage  to  the  coast  of  Africa. 
I will  now  proceed  to  the  national  character  of  this  vessel. 
It  is  asserted  that  she  is  a French  vessel,  bona  fida  owned 
by  French  subjects.  In  the  first  place  it  may  be  observed, 
that  the  character  of  this  vessel  cannot  be  safely  taken  from 
the  representation  of  those  who  were  found  navigating  her. 
If  it  be  said,  she  bore  a French  flag,  and  possessed  French 
papers ; it  may  be  answered  in  the  first  place,  that  she  also 
bore  a Dutch  flag,  and  possessed  Dutch  papers ; and,  if  it  had 
suited  the  occasion,  she  could  have  set  up  a Dutch  character 
with  as  much  plausibility  as  she  now  sets  up  a French  cha- 
racter. Both  of  these  characters  cannot  truly  belong  to  her, 
one  or  the  other  (if  not  both)  must  be  assumed  and  false. 
If  a slave  vessel  be  found  on  the  coast,  she  may  be  expected 
of  course  to  bear  the  flag  of  some  nation,  which  has  not  a 
naval  force  at  hand  to  suppress  it.  It  would  be  vain  to  ex- 
pect an  American  vessel  engaged  in  the  slave  trade,  to  hoist 
an  American  flag  at  her  mast  head,  while  she  knew  there 


39 


was  an  armed  vessel  cruizing  in  the  neighbourhood,  for  the 
purpose  of  capturing  all  vessels  of  this  description  found  so 
engaged.  It  may  be  observed,  that  less  even  than  ordinary 
weight  can  be  given  to  the  papers  in  this  case,  as  they  ap- 
pearecVto  be  false  in  most  or  all  of  those  particulars,  in  which 
their  truth  or  falsehood  could  be  ascertained.  It  appeared  by 
the  statement  of  their  crew,  that  instead  of  entering  upon,  or 
pursuing  any  such  voyage  as  her  papers  expressed,  viz.  from 
Point  Petre  to  Prince’s  Island,  she  proceeded  from  Point 
Petre  to  St.  Thomas  in  the  West  Indies,  then  received  on 
board  a cargo  exactly  suited  to  the  slave  market,  but  which 
was  not  described  in  any  invoice,  bill  of  lading,  or  other  pa- 
per on  board,  and  then  proceeded  to  the  place  where  she 
was  found  trafficking  for  slaves.  This  deviation  from  her 
ostensible  voyage,  or  rather  this  adoption  and  prosecution 
of  an  entirely  different  voyage,  being  not  mentioned  at  all  in 
her  log  book,  or  any  other  papers,  but  on  the  contrary,  pur- 
porting to  describe  a direct  voyage  from  Point  Petre  to  the 
coast  of  Africa.  These  are  among  the  reasons  which  led  to  the 
conviction  that  no  faith  or  credit  ought  to  be  given  to  her 
papers.  Under  these  circumstances,  it  appeared,  that  the 
only  just  mode  of  ascertaining  the  character  of  the  vessel, 
was  to  recur  to  her  history  and  origin  ; and  it  being  clear 
and  admitted,  that  she  was  originally  an  American  vessel, 
it  appeared  to  me  that  character  must  be  considered  as  ad 
hering  to  her,  until  she  should  produce  some  credible  evi- 
dence of  a change  of  character.  There  was  no  bill  of  sale, 
or  other  instrument  of  transfer  produced,  or  any  account  of 
the  time,  place,  or  manner  of  the  sale  and  purchase  of  the 
Vessel.  I'he  only  paper  in  relation  to  this  part  of  the  case, 
was  the  formal  French  paper,  called  the  act  of  francis- 
cation,  which  for  the  reasons  above  set  forth,  being  unac- 
companied by  any  actual  proof,  was  thought  not  sufficient 
authentication  of  the  alleged  fact  of  sale.  It  may  be  add- 
ed, that  there  was  found  on  board  no  invoice,  bill  of  lading, 
charter  party,  or  other  paper,  stating  who  owned  the  goods, 
or  on  whose  account  the  ship  sailed  or  the  goods  carried. 
Finding  then  a fast  sailing  schooner,  built  in  the  U.  S.  pro- 
ceeding to  Guadaloupe,  there  falsely  pretending  to  com- 
mence a lawful  voyage  to  Prince’s  Island,  but  immediately 
proceeding  to  a slave  market,  and  producing  no  bill  of  sale 
or  other  instrument  of  transfer  of  the  property,  it  seemed 
impossible  to  entertain  any  other  belief,  than  that  her  origi- 
nal character  of  an  American  vessel  still  belonged  to  her.” 


40 


The  circumstances  of  La  Matilda,  and  the  arguments 
used  to  shew  her  character  and  object,  are  very  similar 
with  the  preceding.  In  addition.  Lieutenant  Stockton  says, 
‘‘  When  the  commander  of  the  Matilda  found  we  had  so 
completely  fixed  upon  him  the  object  of  his  voyage,  he  ac- 
knowledged that  we  had  two  good  prizes,  alluding  to  his 
own  vessel,  and  La  Daphnee  lying  in  company,  and  offered 
to  ransom  La  Matilda,  and  give  a bill  of  exchange  on  St. 
Thomas  for  the  amount ; and  Mr.  Gouy,  the  officer  found 
in  command  of  La  Daphnee,  offered  to  remain  as  a hostage 
to  secure  the  acceptance  of  the  bill.” 

“ I will  observe,  however,  in  further  confirmation  of  the 
want  of  integrity  as  respects  the  Matilda’s  national  cha- 
racter, that  only  three  persons  of  her  whole  crew,  including 
officers,  were  subjects  of  the  French  government.” 

The  following  is  stated  by  Lieutenant  Stockton,  in  his 
proofs  of  the  character  of  L’Elize.  “ The  subsequent  evi- 
dence of  her  own  crew,  shewed  that  I was  not  mistaken 
or  misled  by  appearances  against  her.  They  said  that 
L’Elize  had  been  lying  some  time  in  the  Gallinas,  in  com- 
pany with  La  jeune  Eugene.  It  was  said  by  them  that 
L’Elize  was  fitted  and  went  to  the  coast  for  a cargo  of 
slaves,  and  that  Captain  Oliver  went  on  shore  at  the  Galli- 
nas, taking  in  the  boat  with  him  the  shackles,  and  what  they 
called  the  big  boiler ; and  that  the  schooner  was  sent  down 
the  coast  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  wood  and  water,  and 
to  lay  the  other  deck  on  which  the  slaves  were  to  live.  It 
was  stated  also  by  her  crew,  that  Maristine  the  captain  of 
La  jeune  Engene  was  at  the  Gallinas  also,  and  that  he  and 
Captain  Oliver  had  purchased  some  slaves  before  the  de- 
parture of  L’Elize. 

“ La  Eugene  was  boarded  and  taken  possession  of  on  the 
night  of  the  18th  of  May,  1821.  She  was  found  to  be  an 
American  built  vessel  of  about  120  tons,  in  all  respects  pre- 
pared for  the  reception  and  accommodation  of  slaves  ; the 
decks  laid,  water  stowed,  and  gratings  for  the  admission  of 
light  and  air,  with  a large  quantity  of  rice  and  water  on 
board.  The  roll  d’equipage  shewed  a crew  of  21  souls,  an 
extraordinary  number  of  men  for  a vessel  of  her  class. 

“ I will  observe,  that  although  in  her  papers  it  is  admitted 
that  she  was  built  in  the  U.  S.  they  could  not  shew  any  le- 
gal proof  of  a transfer  from  her  original  owners.  Instead 
of  pursuing  the  direct  and  only  voyage  authorized  by  her 
papers,  viz.  to  the  coast  of  Malaquette,  she  went  direct  to 
the  Island  of  St.  Thomas  in  the  West  Indies.  Her  log  book 
distinctly  states  this  fact,  and  that  the  crew  was  employed 


41 


being  Sunday  25th  February,  1821,  in  loading  the  vessel,  of 
which  lading,  as  to  species  or  quantity,  there  was  no  account, 
and  the  work  was  continued  until  the  28th  following,  when 
she  got  under  way  to  pursue  her  vo3-age,  but  to  what  des- 
tination is  not  shown  by  any  paper  on  board,  nor  is  there 
any  document  authorizing  her  departure  from  St.  Thomas. 
Here  too  it  will  be  found  that  another  name  has  been  added  to 
the  roll  of  equipage  without  any  sufficient  verification  there- 
of. The  route  of  this  vessel  is  distinctly  traced  by  the  log- 
book, to  almost  the  very  spot  in  which  we  find  her,  and  on 
the  9th  of  April,  it  is  noted  that  she  was  anc«hored  in  10  fa- 
thoms water  off  the  Gallinas,  where  her  captain  and  others 
proceeded  in  a boat  to  the  shore,  and  remained  until  the 
13th,  when  they  came  back  with  boats  and  canoes  and  com- 
menced landing  their  cargo,  (what  cargo  ?)  the  cargo  plainlj' 
that  was  gotten  at  St.  Thomas,  and  a part  of  which  consist- 
ing of  gunpowder  and  muskets  are  now  on  board  of  her. 
The  officer  in  command  of  the  vessel  declares  that  on  dis- 
covering us,  he  made  preparations  to  repel  every  attempt  that 
would  be  made  to  discover  who  or  what  he  was;  an  evidence 
sufficiently  conclusive  as  to  the  nature  of  the  business  in 
which  he  was  engaged.” 

The  French  minister  remonstrated  against  the  conduct  of 
Lieutenant  Stockton,  in  making  prize  of  these  vessels  which 
he  affirmed  were  French : only  one  of  them  arriving  in  the 
United  States,  he  demanded  that  she  should  be  given  up, 
asserting,  at  the  same  time  he  deprecated  the  traffic,  that  it 
was  the  right  of  the  French  government,  to  judge  of  the 
conduct  of  its  own  subjects,  and  to  punish  their  infractions 
of  its  laws.  Although  the  conduct  of  Lieutenant  Stockton 
was  approved,  the  schooner,  in  compliance  with  the  demand 
of  the  French  minister,  was  restored. 

The  following  circular,  issued  from  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment, dated  November  6, 1820,  was  directed  to  the  marshals 
and  district  attorneys  of  Maine,  New- Hampshire,  Massa- 
chusetts, Rhode-Island,  Connecticut,  New-York,  New-Jer- 
sy,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  Maryland,  Virginia,  North- 
Carolina,  South-Carolina,  Georgia  and  Louisiana.  “ In  the 
execution  of  the  Act  of  Congress,  approved  3d  MarcJi,  1819, 
respecting  the  slave  trade,  several  oaptures  of  Africans  have 
been  made  by  the  cruizing  vessels  and  revenue  cutters  of 
the  United  States.  To  carry  the  acts  of  Congress  int©  full 
effect,  it  becomes  necessar)'  that  this  department,  which  is 
charged  with  this  duty,  be  informed  of  all  the  cases  of  cap- 
ture, and  of  the  whole  number  of  blacks  delivered  over 
within  your  district,  and  how  they  are  disposed  of,  or  may 


42 


be  subject  to  the  order  of  the  President  of  the  United  States. 
I request  therefore,  the  above  information  as  soon  as  conve- 
nient.” 

In  reply  to  which,  William  Crawford,  district  attorney, 
in  a letter  dated  St.  Stephens,  Alabama,  July  2,  1820,  to  S. 
Thompson,  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  states,  “ no  Africans  have 
been  brought  into  that  state  since  3d  March,  1819.  About 
100  captured  and  brought  in,  in  May  and  June  1818,  and  in 
the  hands  of  the  marshal.” 

“New  Orleans,  December  13,  1820.  J.  Nicholson,  mar- 
shal, states,  no  information  on  the  subject  of  blacks  illegally 
introduced  into  Louisiana.” 

“ New  York,  November  13,  1820.  R.  Tillotson,  district 
attorney,  states,  schooners  Endymion,  Esperanza,  Platts- 
burgh and  Vienna,  sent  in,  two  first  condemned,  and  one 
sold  as  violating  the  laws  prohibiting  the  slave  trade,  the 
others  not  decided.”  The  Plattsburgh  has  since  been  con- 
demned. See  notes  of  16  Rep.  A.  I. 

“ Baltimore,  November  14,  1820.  Elias  Glenn,  states,  in- 
formation filed  against  H.  H.  Ford,  of  the  General  Artigas, 
for  having  imported  12  negroes  contrary  to  law.  Negroes 
delivered  to  the  marshal,  10  of  them  in  jail,  and  2 made 
their  escape.” 

When  vessels  engaged  in  the  slave  trade  have  been  de- 
tained by  the  American  cruizers,  and  sent  into  the  slave- 
holding states,  there  appears  at  once  a difficulty  in  securing 
the  freedom  to  these  captives  which  the  laws  of  the  U.  S. 
have  decreed  for  them.  Heavy  charges  have  been  produced 
on  account  of  the  keeping  of  captured  Africans  during  the 
Intervals  between  their  landing  and  re-embarkation  for  Afri- 
ca or  other  disposition  of  them.  These  difficulties  are  illus- 
trated by  the  following  correspondence,  obtained  from  the 
navy  department,  which,  while  it  manifests  the  zeal  of  the 
officers  of  government  to  enforce  the  laws,  also  further  de- 
velopes  the  moral  turpitude  produced  by  the  practice  of 
dealing  in  human  flesh  and  blood. 

Charleston,  July  18,  1819.  Thomas  Parker,  district  at- 
torney, after  stating  defects  of  the  law  in  regard  to  a provision 
for  the  support  of  Africans  captured,  or  illegally  imported 
and  abandoned,  no  claimant  appearing : says,  “ I have  re- 
ceived information  from  a person  who  will  not  be  seen  in 
the  business,  that  upwards  of  100  of  the  same  parcel  (of 
which  he  had  previously  stated  4 to  be  in  jail,  under  care  of 
the  marshal,)  were  offered  to  him  to  be  conveyed  into  the 


43 


country  on  certain  conditions.  I have  been  well  informed 
of  one  or  two  cases,  in  which  the  first  party  imported  Afri- 
cans contrary  to  law  and  hid  them  in  the  woods,  the  second 
party  robbed  the  first,  and  the  third  the  second,  and  the 
negroes  could  not  be  traced.” 

In  a letter  from  the  Navy  Department,  dated  1st  April, 
1820,  the  Secretary  directs  (M.  M‘Ilwain,  j.)  the  marshal 
of  South  Carolina,  to  place  some  Africans  in  his  custody,  at 
service,  where  they  will  be  treated  with  kindness  and  hu- 
manity, and  safely  kept,  until  they  can  be  removed,  pursuant 
to  the  act  of  3d  March,  1819. 

From  the  marshal  of  South  Carolina,  Charleston,  May  9, 
1820;  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  “ In  pursuance  of  the 
instructions  received  from  your  department,  I have  endea- 
voured to  place  the  Africans  who  are  in  my  custody,  in  the 
service  of  some  discreet  and  humane  person,  who  would 
treat  them  with  humanity  and  indulgence,  and  allow  some- 
thing for  their  labour.  I have  not  succeeded,  neither  do  I 
see  any  prospect  of  succeeding,  because  there  is  no  service 
in  which  they  could  be  employed,  that  their  employer  could 
derive  much  advantage  from  their  labour,  at  most,  the  ad- 
vantage would  not  be  equivalent  to  the  trouble  that  might 
reasonably  be  expected  from  them.  Since  writing  the  above, 
I have  received  the  following  communication  from  Mr. 
Parker.” 

“ Charleston,  May  13,  1820.  On  the  subject  of  four  Afri- 
cans now  in  jail,  I am  willing  to  receive  them  on  the  follow- 
ing conditions  : I will  carry  them  to  my  plantation,  16  miles 
from  this  city,  where  I will  house,  clothe  and  feed  them  as 
I do  my  own,  but  I will  not  agree  to  pay  the  physician’s 
bill,  nor  be  answerable  for  them,  should  they  run  away,  or 
be  stolen.  As  to  running  away,  it  is  not  probable  they  will 
do  so,  as  none  of  my  own  have  ever  run  from  me.  As  to 
their  being  stolen,  there  is  some  risk  of  its  being  done,  in 
case  the  importer  should  find  out  where  they  are,  as  such 
things  have  already  been  done  in  Charleston,  and  therefore 
the  place  to  which  they  may  be  sent,  must  remain  a secret. 
But  should  the  above  Africans  refuse  to  work  or  be  dissa- 
tisfied with  their  condition,  I shall  claim  the  right  of  restor- 
ing them  to  you,  as  such  conduct  in  the  first  particular  would 
injure  my  own  slaves,  and  in  the  second  I would  not  be 
compensated  by  any  little  services  they  might  perform.” 

Thomas  Parker. 


N 


44 

A letter  to  the  marshal  of  Charleston,  S.  C.  dated  Decem- 
ber 15,  1820,  directs  him  to  send  the  liberated  negroes  in 
his  possession  to  Norfolk,  in  order  to  be  shipped  on  board 
the  brig  Nautilus,  for  Africa,  under  the  care  of  J.  B.  Winn 
or  E.  Bacon.  The  number  appears  to  have  been  four. 

Extract  of  a letter  from  Judge  William  Johnson^  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  State,  dated  Charleston,  S.  C.  June  12,  1821. 

“ When  I was  last  at  Washington,  I was  requested  by  the 
President,  to  furnish  him  with  information  respecting  the 
situation  of  the  several  gangs  of  slaves,  which  have  been  at 
various  periods  introduced  into  Georgia. 

“ The  first  capture  by  Captain  Elton,  consisting  of  about 
130,  were  delivered  up  to  the  original  Spanish  claimant,  un- 
der a bond  to  transport  them  beyond  the  limits  of  the  U.  S. 
But  I am  informed,  and  doubt  not  the  practicability  of  prov- 
ing, that  whilst  yet  within  the  state  of  Georgia  they  were 
purchased  by  a citizen  of  that  state,  and  now  residing  on 
the  Savanna  river ; if  so,  they  were  illegally  purchased,  and 
he  is  liable  to  a heav)'  penalty. 

“ Not  conceiving  it  consistent  with  my  situation  to  have 
any  influence  on  prosecutions,  until  officially  brought  to  my 
notice,  it  will  rest  with  the  President,  whether  he  will  give 
any  instructions  to  the  district  attornies  on  the  subject.  I 
should  think  it  myself  an  object,  to  make  it  very  unsafe  for 
our  citizens  to  soil  their  hands  with  such  purchases.  The 
slaves,  it  is  understood,  have  been  transported  to  East  Flo- 
rida, and  are  now  there, — more  probably  they  have  been 
smuggled  back. 

“ The  next  parcel  brought  into  the  state,  were  those,  con- 
cerhing  which  Governors  Clark  and  Mitchel  are  now  pub- 
licly maintaining  a discussion,  of  whom  you  will  recollect 
the  state  of  Georgia  sold  a portion,  and  60  or  80  still  remain 
in  the  hands  of  the  constituted  authorities  of  that  state — 
These  are  now  in  Milledgeville,  and  are  ready  to  be  deli- 
vered up  to  the  Colonizing  Society  upon  the  payment  of 
about  1200  dollars,  expenses  said  to  have  been  incurred  by' 
the  state.  This  sum,  the  Society  either  has  refused,  or  is 
unable  to  refund  ; or  perhaps  they  are  of  opinion,  that  a part 
of  the  money  raised  from  the  sale  of  the  residue  ought  to  be 
applied  to  the  expenses  of  those  remaining  unsold. 

“The  last  parcel  introduced,  consisted  of  about  280  seized 
the  last  year  on  the  coast  of  Florida  by  the  Revenue  Cutter, 
in  a vessel  called  the  Antelope  or  General  Ramirez.  The 
- sickly  summer  carried  off  about  50  of  them,  and  the  rest  of 


45 


them  are  distributed  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Savanna,  to 
various  individuals,  under  the  superintendance  of  the  mar- 
shal. God  knows  how  they  are  treated,  but  we  have  no 
other  mode  of  disposing  of  them  ; they  work  for  their  main- 
tenance. Twenty-five  of  these  were  taken  by  the  Artigan 
privateer,  that  claims  them,  from  on  board  the  American 
schooner  Exchange,  said  to  have  been  owned  in  Bristol,  R. 
Island,  and  found  slaving  on  the  African  coast.  The  rest 
were  taken  by  the  privateer  from  Spanish  and  Portuguese 
vessels,  and  as  the  privateer  was  fitted  out  in  the  great  offi- 
cina,  Baltimore,  I have  ordered  them  to  be  restored.  The 
twenty-five  taken  from  the  Exchange,  I have  adjudged  free, 
and  they  will  await  the  orders  of  the  Executive.” 

Letter  from  R.  W.  Habersham^  District  Attorney^  dated  Sa- 
vanna^ 18th  July,  1821 ; to  the  Secretary  of  State. 

“ I have  the  honour  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your 
communication  of  the  7th  of  July  inst.  in  which  you  state 
that  information  had  been  received  by  the  Executive,  that 
one  hundred  and  thirty  slaves,  captured  by  Captain  Elton, 
were,  while  yet  within  the  state  of  Georgia,  purchased  by 
a citizen  of  the  state  of  Georgia,  residing  on  the  Savanna 
river,  in  violation  of  the  5th  and  7th  sections  of  the  act  of 
Congress  of  20th  April,  1818,  and  that  the  facts  are  sus- 
ceptible of  proof,  and  that  should  I upon  proper  enquiry, 
find  that  to  be  the  case,  I am  to  institute  a prosecution  for 
the  due  execution  of  the  law. 

“ There  were  three  cargoes  captured  and  brought  in  by 
Captain  Elton,  those  of  the  Syuna,  Politina,  and  Tentativa. 
The  then  marshal  having,  as  I understand,  refused  to  take 
charge  of  the  negroes,  they  were  delivered  out  on  bonds. 
Of  the  first  cargo  in  the  Syuna,  twenty-four  were  delivered  to 
B.  M‘Kinne,  for  which  number  he  gave  a bond,  condition- 
ed for  the  forthcoming  of  the  negroes  when  an  order  should 
issue  from  the  Admiralty  court  to  that  effect.  Such  an  or- 
der did  issvie,  and  fifteen  of  that  number  were  delivered  to 
the  agent  of  the  claimants,  and  were_  by  him  transported  to 
Florida,  as  appears  by  affidavits  and  certificates  filed  in  the 
Admiralty.  The  other  nine  it  also  appears  by  affidavits 
filed,  died  while  in  possession  of  Mr.  M‘Kinne.  In  the 
case  of  the  Tentativa,  B.  M‘Kinne  and  Co.  appear  to  have 
been  the  agents  of  Gobel  the  Spanish  claimant,  in  whose  fa- 
vour the  decree  went.  In  this  case  the  negroes  were  deli- 
vered out  to  sundry  persons.  B.  M‘Kinne  and  Co.,  gave 
their  bond  to  account  for  thirty-one,  the  original  number  of 


46 


the  cargo  landed  being  one  hundred  and  two.  It  appears 
however  that  M‘Kinne  must  have  received  others  after- 
wards, for  the  marshal  returns  to  the  attachments  issued  at 
my  instance  out  of  the  admiralty,  that  he  had  received  out 
of  this  cargo,  from  B.  M‘Kinne,  thirty-eight ; from  Thomas 
N.  Morel,  thirty;  from  N.  S.  Bullock,  twenty-four;  from 
Boyce,  one ; making  ninety-three  in  all.  The  remaining 
nine  are  reported  dead.  The  ninety-three  so  returned  to 
the  marshal  were  afterwards  delivered  to  G.  W.  Denton, 
one  of  the  firm  of  B,  M‘Kinne  and  Co.,  for  transportation, 
and  it  appears  by  certificates  and  affidavits,  filed  in  the  ad- 
miralty, that  they  were  actually  landed  in  Florida  by  Den- 
ton. In  the  case  of  the  Politina,  nineteen  appear  to  have 
been  delivered  to  B.  M‘Kinne  and  Co.,  and  afterwards  to 
have  been  transported  to  Florida  by  them,  in  consequence 
of  the  proceedings  in  the  admiralty,  to  compel  such  trans- 
portation. It  then  appears  that  M‘Kinne  has  actually  trans- 
ported beyond  the  then  limits  of  the  United  States,  all  the 
negroes  which  he  received.  It  also  appears  that  nearly  all 
the  surviving  negroes  of  those  three  cargoes,  have  been,  un- 
der the  orders  of  the  admiralty  court,  removed  to  Florida. 
Certificates  of  the  removal  of  the  remainder  have  not  yet 
been  furnished,  the  time  for  the  return  under  the  attach- 
ments having  been  extended  by  the  court,  to  enable  the  par- 
ties to  procure  the  necessary  documents.  This  number, 
however,  is  small.  What  private  understandings  may  have 
existed  among  the  parties  interested  in  the  several  cases,  as 
to  the  ultimate  property  in  these  negroes,  it  is  impossible  to 
say,  nor  do  I see  any  mode  by  which  evidence  could  be  pro- 
cured, to  establish  in  a court  of  justice,  the  fact  of  a pur- 
chase or  sale.  Such  arrangements  are  probably  only  known 
to  those  engaged,  and  who  would  be  criminated  by  a disclo- 
sure. The  negroes  delivered  to  B.  M‘Kinne,  were  as  I un- 
derstand, placed  on  his  plantation,  upwards  of  one  hundred 
miles  from  this  place  in  the  interior,  and  I am  inclined  to 
think  that  the  information  given,  is  founded  on  a mistake, 
arising  from  the  circumstance,  that  a number  of  new  ne- 
groes were  in  possession  of  M‘Kinne,  without  the  further 
information,  that  they  actually  came  into  his  possession  un- 
der bonds  as  above  stated. 

“ I am  informed  that  about  forty  of  these  negroes  are  now 
in  Florida,  in  the  actual  possession  of  G.  W.  Denton,  the 
former  partner  and  co-agent  with  M‘Kinne,  of  the  claimants. 
That  negroes  have  been  introduced  into  the  state,  in  viola- 
tion of  the  law,  that  such  negroes  have  been  sold,  that  there 
has  been  illegal  trafficking  in  those  brought  in  by  Captain 


47 


Elton,  are  facts,  of  which  there  can  be  but  little  doubt.  At 
the  same  time  I would  remark,  that  the  gentlemen  who  re- 
ceived the  negroes  of  the  Tentativa,  and  whose  names  are 
above  mentioned,  appear  to  have  acted  fairly  and  honour- 
ably, in  the  re-delivery  of  the  negroes  in  their  possession  to 
the  marshal  under  the  orders  of  the  court.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  belief  which  prevails,  that  the  laws  of  the  United 
States  have  been  violated  in  the  partipulars  above  specified, 
yet  there  never  has  been  an  affidavit  delivered  into  my  of- 
fice to  that  effect.  A great  majority  of  the  people  are,  no 
doubt,  opposed  in  principle  to  the  slave  trade,  and  the  offi- 
cers of  the  government  here,  would  act  with  promptitude 
and  zeal  in  its  suppression,  if  such  information  could  be 
procured  as  would  authorize  them  to  act.” 

Extract  of  a letter  from  Richard  IV.  Habersham.,  District 

Attorney^  dated  17th  August.,  1821,  to  the  Secretary  of  the 

Navy. 

“ It  appears  to  be  almost  impossible  to  enforce  the  laws 
of  the  Unitred  States  against  offenders  (alluding  to  those  en- 
gaged in  the  illegal  importation  of  slaves,)  after  the  negroes 
have  been  landed  in  the  state,  particularly  in  this  neighbour- 
hood, where  so  many  of  the  cargo  of  the  Ramirez  are  out 
upon  bond,  and  daily  about  the  streets  of  the  city.  For 
they  so  soon  learn  the  language  and  become  assimilated  in 
every  respect  to  the  other  negroes,  that  it  is  almost  impossi- 
ble in  a very  short  time  to  discriminate  between  them. 
Hence,  unless  the  detection  is  made  at  the  moment  of  land- 
ing, it  is  almost  hopeless  to  expect  that  it  will  be  made  af- 
terwards.” • 

“ A letter  from  John  H.  Morell,  marshal,  dated  Savanna, 
September  29,  1821,  states  that  sixteen  of  the  crew  of  the. 
Ramirez,  and  two  belonging  to  other  vessels,  were  ready 
for  delivery  to  the  President  of  the  United  States.  A let- 
ter from  the  Navy  Department,  dated  April  8,  1822,  directs 
J.  H.  Morell,  to  send  all  the  captured  Africans  in  his  pos- 
session to  Norfolk  or  Baltimore ; the  latter  to  be  preferred, 
in  order  that  they  may  be  re-exported  to  Africa.  They  ap- 
pear, eighteen  in  number,  to  have  been  sent  to  Baltimore, 
and  the  marshal  is  authorized  by  letter  dated  May  4,  1822, 
to  deliver  them  to  the  agent  of  the  Colonization  Society,  and 
pay  their  passage,  ten  dollars  each,  the  amount  of  which 
shall  be  repaid  upon  producing  the  receipt.  ” 


48 


Navy  Department,  March  28th,  1823:  to  R.  W.  Haber- 
sham, District  Attorney,  Georgia.  “ The  Honourable 
Judge  Johnson  has  directed  in  relation  to  the  Africans  now 
in  the  custody  of  the  marshal  of  Georgia,  that  as  the  decree 
of  the  court  below  was  in  favour  of  the  claimants,  they  were 
entitled  to  the  preference  of  taking  them  on  bond,  but  that 
he  should  make  the  order  in  the  alternative  ; viz,,  that  if  the 
bond  was  not  given  in  a limited  time,  the  said  Africans 
should  be  delivered  to  my  order.  Be  pleased  to  attend  to 
this  matter,  and  as  early  as  practicable,  have  the  Africans 
delivered  to  W.  C.  Daniell,  Esq.  conformably  with  the  in- 
structions given  to  you  the  21st  January  last.” 

R.  W.  Habersham’s  reply,  dated  17th  April,  1823.  “Your 
communication  relative  to  the  disposition  of  the  Africans  of 
the  cargo  of  the  General  Ramirez,  has  been  received.  The 
claimants  having  complied  with  the  order  of  Judge  Johnson, 
by  giving  the  bonds  required  within  the  time  specified,  the 
negroes  were  all  delivered  to  them  or  their  agents.  The  al- 
ternative of  the  order  therefore  cannot  be  eflFected.” 

An  attempt  having  been  made  by  the  government  of  the 
United  States,  to  form  a settlement  on  the  African  coast  for 
the  reception  of  capture^  negroes,  the  result,  so  far  as  it  was 
then  known,  will  be  seen  by  the  following  extract  of  an  ac- 
count of  its  commencement  and  progress  drawn  up  by  D.  E. 
Ayres,  the  present  agent  for  liberated  Africans,  viz : 

To  the  Honourable  Smith  Thompson^  Secretary  of  the  Navy 
of  the  United  States. 

Sir, 

“ In  pursuance  of  the  authority  vested  in  him  by  an  act 
passed  the  3d  day  of  March,  1819,  in  addition  to  an  act  for 
the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade,  the  president  of  the  Unit- 
ed States  proceeded  to  appoint  two  agents  to  reside  on  the 
coast  of  Africa;  there  to  receive  and  provide  for  all  cap- 
tured Africans,  who  might  be  delivered  into  their  custody 
by  cruizers  of  the  United  States,  or  who  might  be  returned 
to  that  country,  having  been  ‘ seized,  captured,  or  brought 
into  the  United  States,’  under  the  provision  of  that  act. 

“The  ship  Elizabeth  sailed  from  New-York  on  the 6th  of 
February,  1820,  carrying  out  the  Rev.  Samuel  Bacon,  prin- 
cipal agent,  and  John  P.  Bankson,  assistant  agent,  appointed 
by  the  president,  with  thirty  effective  labourers  and  mecha- 
nics, their  wives  and  children,  to  be  employe  din  this  work. 
I'he  special  instructions  delivered  to  Mr.  Bacon,  are  not 


49 


now  in  the  possession  of  your  agent ; but  in  pursuance  of 
the  instruction  he  received,  he  proceeded  to  Sierra  Leone, 
and  after  obtaining  an  experienced  pilot,  and  procuring  all 
the  information  of  the  coast  in  his  power,  he  determined  to 
elFect_a  temporary  settlement  at  Sherbro. 

“ He  proceeded  with  the  ship  Elizabeth  and  the  schooner 
Augusta,  which  he  had  found  it  necessary  to  purchase ; and 
on  the  18th  of  March,  1820,  came  to  an  anchor  about  twen- 
. t)'-three  miles  from  Sherbro ; being  as  near  as  the  pilot 
thought  advisable  to  approach  the  shore.  A temporary  re- 
sidence was  obtained  of  John  Kizell  at  Canpalar  ; and  nego- 
ciations  were  opened  with  the  kings  and  head  men  for  a 
tract  of  land  on  the  river  Bagroo.  Prospects  of  obtaining  a 
permanent  settlement  being  so  favourable,  Mr.  Bacon  pro- 
ceeded to  discharge  the  cargo  and  dismiss  the  ship  Eliza- 
beth. Unfortunately  for  the  cause,  both  the  agents,  a mid- 
shipman and  seven  sailors,  sent  from  the.U.  S.  ship  Cyane, 
to  their  relief,  together  with  several  of  the  labourers,  fell 
victims  to  the  bad  water,  and  confined  situation  of  the  place, 
soon  after  landing.  By  the  death  of  Mr.  Bacon,  the  nego- 
ciations  for  the  Bagroo  tract  were  interrupted,  and  after  re- 
peated trials  by  the  subsequent  agents  entirely  failed. 

“Daniel  Coker,  a coloured  man,  on  the  death  of  Mr.  Bacon, 
had  become  invested  with  the  agency  for  captured  Africans, 
and  had  all  authority  in  his  own  hands.  After  long  and  re- 
peated exertions  to  get  a grant  of  lands  from  the  natives, 
some  time  previous  to  the  25th  of  September,  of  the  same 
year,  he  embarked  in  the  Augusta,  with  such  of  the  labour- 
ers as  put  sufficient  confidence  in  him  to  follow  his  fortunes, 
and  proceeded  to  Sierra  Leone.  He  took  with  him  great 
part  of  the  provisions,  clothing,  and  merchantable  articles, 
that  were  left  in  his  charge  at  the  death  of  Mr.  Bacon. 

“ When  Coker  left  the  Sherbro  for  Sierra  Leone,  the  la- 
bourers were  left  without  an  agent,  and  nearly  destitute  of 
provisions  or  clothing;  sick,  dispirited,  and  almost  de- 
, spairing  of  any  further  assistance  from  this  country.  Some 
of  them  believing  the  object  that  brought  them  out  to  be 
entirely  abandoned,  proposed  dividing  the  property  left  by 
Coker  in  the  storehouse,  among  themselves;  and  each  one 
seeking  the  best  accommodations  he  might  find  aitiong  the 
the  natives.  The  preservation  of  the  property  which  re- 
mained at  this  time,  is  owing  to  the  prudent  conduct,  princi- 
pally, of  Elijah  Johnson,  and  Joseph  Blake,  two  of  the  co- 
loured labourers ; who  stepped  forward  to  protect  it  and 
preserve  order,  until  they  should  be  relieved  from  their  diffi- 
culties by  an  arrival,  anxiously  hoped  for,  from  this  country. 

G 


50 


They  appointed  magistrates,  instituted  regulations,  and 
maintained  order,  until  they  were  timely  relieved  by  the  ar- 
rival of  Mr.  Winm  The  people  were  then  transported  to 
Fourah  Bay,  with  great  part  of  the  property.  On  my  arri- 
val at  that  place  in  November  of  the  same  year,  finding  that 
some  of  the  property  still  remained  at  Sherbro,  I despatched 
the  schooner  Augusta,  and  brought  away  all  that  could  be 
found. 

“ Information  having  been  received  of  the  death  of  the 
agents,  and  the  failure  of  the  attempt  to  carry  the  law  into 
execution  in  Africa ; it  being  necessary  to  appoint  other 
agents,  to  procure  a residence  and  to  carry  out  five  captured 
Africans,  who  had  been  delivered  over  by  the  goverhment 
to  be  returned  to  their  native  land ; Mr.  J.  B.  Winn,  and 
Mr.  E.  Bacon,  were  appointed  for  that  purpose,  and  sailed 
from  Norfolk  in  January  1821,  with  twenty-eight  effective 
labourers  and  their  families,  and  the  above  mentioned  five 
captured  Africans  in  addition  to  the  labourers  and  mecha- 
nics before  taken  out ; with  instructions  ‘ to  proceed  to  the 
coast  of  Africa,  and  upon  landing  at  or  near  Sierra  Leone, 
to  ascertain  the  state  of  the  persons  who  were  left  at  Sher- 
bro the  preceding  year,  and  afford  them  such  relief  as  their 
circumstances  might  require,  and  then  proceed  to  make  an 
establishment  either  in  Sherbro,  or  upon  such  parts  of  the 
coast  as  shall  appear  to  be  most  eligible  for  the  purposes 
contemplated  by  their  appointment.’ 

“ In  pursuance  of  these  orders  the  agents  lost  no  time 
after  arriving  in  Sierra  Leone,  in  gaining  an  interview  with 
the  colonial  authorities  of  Freetown,  and  after  a free  and 
candid  exposition  of  the  wishes  and  views  of  the  agents, 
which  was  as  fully  and  frankly  met  on  the  other  part ; the 
agents  agreed  to  relinquish  all  claim  on  the  Bagroo,  on 
condition  of  having  accorded  to  them,  fora  reasonable  com- 
pensation, a suitable  reception  for  the  labourers  arid  mecha- 
nics, and  liberty  to  land  the  property  and  reship  it  again,  free 
of  duty,  when  a suitable  situation  should  be  obtained.  These 
preliminaries  being  entered  into,  and  a place  selected  at 
Fourah  Bay,  the  property  was  landed.  The  agents  then 
turned  t^ieir  attention  to  the  examination  of  the  coast,  and 
selection  of  a more  suitable  situation  for  a permanent  set- 
tlement. Mr.  Bacon,  and  the  Rev.  J.  R.  Andrews,  were 
selected  for  that  duty,  and  finally  entered  into  a contract 
with  the  natives  of  Grand  Bassa,  for  a tract  of  country  in 
that  vicinity.  Shortly  after  the  return  of  Bacon  and  Andrews 
from  down  the  coast,  Mr.  Bacon  was  attacked  with  the  fever 
of  the  season,  and  returned  to  the  United  States.  Mr.  and 


51 


Mrs,  Winn,  soon  fell  victims  to  their  indefatigable  exertions 
in  the  duties  of  their  office,  the  whole  of  which  then  devolved 
upon  C.  Wiltberger,  who  had  taken  passage  in  the  Nauti- 
lus, as  sub-agent  of  the  Colonization  Society.  In  this  la- 
mentable state  were  affairs  found  by  your  present  agent, 
when  he  arrived  at  Fourah  Bay,  in  the  capacity  of  physician 
to  the  captured  Africans,  and  agent  of  the  Colonization  So- 
ciety. From  the  death  of  Mr.  Winn,  on  the  25th  of  August, 
1821,  Mr.  Wiltberger  continued  to  act  as  agent  for  govern- 
ment until  the  2d  of  April,  1822,  when  the  whole  duties  de- 
volved on  your  present  agent. 

“ Our  stock  of  clothing  and  most  articles  of  provision  had 
been  either  exhausted  or  spoiled,  and  we  were  under  the  ne- 
cessity of  purchasing  in  Freetown. 

“ Finding  upon  my  arrival  at  Fourah  Ba)’,  your  agent 
dead,  and  his  successor  unable  from  four  months  indisposi- 
tion, to  perform  the  duties  devolving  upon  him,  and  the  ul- 
timate object  of  the  expedition  unattained,  I did  not  hesitate 
what  course  to  pursue.  Perusing  the  instructions  given  by 
you  to  Mr.  Winn,  I found  it  had  been  made  his  duty  on 
landing  at  Sierra  Leone,  ‘to  ascertain  the  actual  state  of 

* those  persons  who  were  left  at  Sherbro  during  the  early 
‘ part  of  the  present  year,  (1820)  and  offer  them  such  relief 

* as  their  circumstances  may  require.  You  will  then  proceed 
‘ to  make  an  establishment,  either  in  Sherbro  or  upon  such 
‘ other  part  of  the  coast  as  shall  appear  to  be  most  eligible 
‘ for  the  purposes  contemplated  by  your  appointment.  In 
‘ making  an  establishment  at  Sherbro,  or  elsewhere,  as  cir- 
‘ cumstances  shall  point  to  be  most  expedient ; the  first  ob- 
‘ject  of  your  attention  will  be,  to  make  the  necessary  and 
‘ amicable  arrangements  with  the  government  of  the  coun- 
‘ try,  or  such  other  place  as  you  may  select,  and  a full  and 
‘ candid  exposition  of  all  the  objects  contemplated  ; in  which 
‘ you  will  be  guarded  against  possible  deception  or  bad  faith ; 
‘ and  then  proceed  to  make  preparation  for  buildings  to  shel- 
‘ ter  captured  Africans,  and  to  afford  them  comfort  and  pro- 
‘ tection,  until  they  can  be  otherwise  disposed  of,  and  also  to 
‘ procure  permission  to  cultivate  a certain  portion  of  land 
‘ contiguous  to  their  barracks,  to  raise  corn  and  vegetables, 
‘ and  such  other  articles  as  may  be  necessary  and  useful.’ 

“ Accordingly,  on  the  arrival  of  Lieutenant  R.  F.  Stock- 
ton,  who  was  authorized  to  co-operate  in  accomplishing  the 
object  of  the  expedition,  I proceeded  in  company  with  him 
down  the  coast,  and  on  the  15th  day  of  December,  1821, 
succeeded  in  accomplishing  the  long  desired  object,  of  pro- 
curing an  establishment  for  captured  Africans.  It  now  re- 
mained to  remove  the  labourers  to  the  place  selected,  and  to 


erect  buildings,  and  to  carry  into  effect  the  other  objects 
contemplated  in  the  instructions  to  the  agents.  To  aid  in 
the  prosecution  of  these  objects,  Lieutenant  Stockton  was  so 
good  as  to  detach  H.  D.  Hunter  and  four  men,  to  take 
charge  of  the  vessel  to  be  engaged  in  removing  the  people 
and  goods. 

“ On  the  1st  day  of  January,  1822,  we  dropped  the  vessel 
down  with  the  labourers  on  board  to  Freetown,  where  w'e 
procured  the  necessary  provisions  and  presents  for  the  kings  ; 
to  pay  for  the  use  of  the  land,  and  the  next  day  sailed  for 
the  settlement  at  Montserado,  now  called  Liberia.  Several 
of  the  labourers  taken  out  from  the  U.  S.  had  died,  others 
had  become  naturalized  in  the  British  settlement,  and  some 
were  discharged  for  laziness  and  misconduct ; so  that  19 
effective  labourers  were  all  who  now  remained,  to  carry  into 
effect  the  objects  of  our  mission.  After  we  had  got  pos- 
session, our  labourers  were  engaged  in  clearing  the  land ; 
and  nearly  all  the  goods  were  removed  and  stored  on  the 
Island  of  Persuareas.  I returned  to  Fourah  Bay  to  settle 
the  accounts,  and  bring  down  the  remainder  of  the  property 
and  people.  During  my  absence  while  at  Freetown,  a most 
disastrous  affair  happened  to  our  labourers  at  the  cape.” 
[Here  follows  an  account  of  the  attack  made  by  the  natives 
upon  the  settlers.] 

“This  unfortunate  affair  made  it  necessary  that  I should  re- 
turn to  Freetown  and  procure  supplies  sufficient  to  last  the 
labourers,  until  I could  return  to  the  U.  S.  and  lay  their 
pressing  demands  before  the  government.  On  the  18th 
day  of  May  last,  Mr.  J.  Ashman  sailed  in  the  brig  Strong, 
with  16  captured  Africans,  and  sufficient  supplies  for  six 
months ; and  about  30  persons  of  colour  with  their  wives 
took  passage  with  him. 

“ The  objects  contemplated  in  the  President’s  message 
to  congress,  on  the  17th  of  December,  1819,  are  now  so  far 
accomplished,  as  that  a settlement  is  established  on  the  coast 
of  Africa,  where  the  captured  Africans  may  be  returned  in 
safety,  and  a shelter  provided  for  those  who  were  taken  out 
in  the  brig  Nautilus  ; but  it  still  remains  to  provide  a shelter 
for  those  16  who  went  out  in  the  brig  Strong  ; and  it  would 
also  be  expedient  to  have  a shelter  in  readiness  for  such  as 
may  be  sent  out  in  future.  There  are  now  at  Montserado 
under  charge  of  the  government,  20  captured  Africans,  30 
labourers,  some  of  them  with  their  families. 

“ It  will  be  remembered  that  when  Mr.  Bacon  was  ap- 
pointed the  first  agent,  under  the  law  for  the  suppression  of 
the  slave  trade,  and  for  providing  for  captures  on  the  coast 
of  Africa,  he  was  authorized  to  take  out  with  him  that  num- 


53 


ber  of  labourers  and  women,  for  the  purpose  of  enabliug 
him  to  erect  houses  for  the  agents,  and  the  public  goods, 
and  provisions,  and  for  the  reception  and  accommodation  of 
the  captives,  that  might  be  placed  under  his  charge.  His 
successors,  and  my  predecessors  in  the  agency,  found  it  ne- 
cessary to  keep  up  the  same  number  of  persons  for  this  ser- 
vice, because  the  work  for  which  they  were  thus  engaged 
has  never  been  accomplished,  and  for  the  same  reason,  I 
have  considered  it  necessarv  to  continue  them.  The  erec- 
tion of  these  houses,  and  other  necessary  measures  of  pre- 
paration, were  never  commenced  at  Sherbro  (the  first  place 
of  settlement  selected  by  Mr.  Bacon)  on  account  of  the  death 
of  the  U.  S.  agents  ;](the  mortality  among  the  people,  and 
their  unavoidable  removal  from  the  place,  as  heretofore  com- 
municated by  the  agents. 

“ The  terms  on  which  they  were  originally  engaged,  and 
on  which  they  are  still  continued,  are  merely  to  provide  for 
their  support  during  the  period  of  their  engagement  to  la- 
bour. The  situation  of  these  captives  and  labourers,  if  their 
provisions  were  to  fail,  would  be  very  deplorable.  They 
have  not  yet  had  time  to  make  a crop,  nor  are  bread  and 
other  necessaries  to  be  had,  but  by  going  to  Sierra  Leone, 
and  they  are  without  a vessel  or  any  means  of  sending  there, 
and  the  articles  could  only  be  procured  there  at  an  extrava- 
gant price. 

“ I have  the  honour  to  be. 

Your  obedient  humble  servant, 

E.  AYRES,  Ag-ent,  C.  A” 

“ Washington,  January  15,  1823.” 

Having  taken  a cursory  view  of  the  slave  trade  as  con- 
ducted by  Europeans  and  Americans,  it  remains  to  give  a 
condensed  statement  of  the  cruelties  and  carnage  which  ac- 
company the  procurement  of  slaves,  and  their  passage  to  the 
place  of  destination  ; and  to  exhibit  the  benefits  derived  to 
those  who  have  been  happily  rescued  from  the  merciless 
fangs  of  their  brutal  captors,  by  being  placed  in  a situation 
to  become  acquainted  with  agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts. 
It  has  been  proved,  on  the  best  authority,  that  famine,  de- 
vastation, and  continual  warfare,  undertaken  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  procuring  prisoners,  were  the  inevitable  conse- 
quences of  the  presence  of  slave  ships  on  the  coast  of  Af- 
rica, and  that  the  Europeans  not  only  were  witnesses  of  this 
spectacle  of  desolation,  but  furnished  the  arms,  nourished 
the  hatred,  and  fomented  the  discord  which  produced  it.  It 
has  been  proved  on  the  most  convincing  evidence,  that  the 


54 


demand  for  slaves,  had  the  fatal  effect  of  developing  and  ex- 
citing every  vice  and  every  evil  passion  among  these  na- 
tions, of  perverting  their  rude  institutions,  and  poisoning 
their  domestic  relations.  The  petty  tyrants  of  those  coun- 
tries were  daily  induced  to  condemn  indiscriminately  whole 
families  for  trivial  or  imaginary  crimes,  with  the  sole  object 
of  obtaining  possession  of  their  persons,  and  exchanging 
them  for  such  articles  as  the  trader  offered  in  barter ; to 
station  their  soldiers  in  ambush  on  the  roads,  with  orders 
to  rush  on  the  unarmed  traveller,  and  load  him  with  chains  ; 
to  attack  at  night,  and  without  previous  notice,  villages 
sunk  in  sleep,  dragging  into  slavery  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren, of  an  age  suited  to  their  purpose,  and  mercilessly 
butchering  the  old  men  and  infants.  See  Due  de  Broglio’s 
speech,  16th  Report  A,  I.  267. 

The  renewal  of  the  traffic  in  human  beings  on  the  Wind- 
ward coast,  must  be  viewed  by  every  friend  to  humanity 
with  deep  regret,  accompanied  as  that  renewal  has  been,  with 
cruel  wars  amongst  the  hitherto  peaceful  natives. 

Numerous  slave  factories  are  established  on  various  parts 
of  the  coast  by  the  French,  Spanish,  and  Portuguese,  where 
the  slaves  are  collected  and  purchased  as  brought  in  until 
the  cargo  is  complete.  Although  in  their  hovels  or  yards 
their  suffering  is  mild  compared  with  that  on  the  passage, 
yet  penetrated  with  grief  at  the  thought  of  being  finally  se- 
parated from  all  they  held  most  dear,  and  fdled  with  gloomy 
forebodings  of  the  rigours  of  an  interminable  servitude, 
the  situation  of  the  poor  negroes  is  calculated  to  awaken 
the  tenderest  sympathies,  where  repeated  crime  has  not  ren- 
dered the  heart  callous  by  extinguishing  every  spark  of  hu- 
manity. A person  residing  at  Senegal,  writing  from  St. 
Louis,  says,  “No  one  in  the  town  is  ignorant,  that  there  are 
here  600  wretched  creatures,  shut  up  in  the  slave  yards,  and 
doomed  to  be  transported  to  America  by  the  first  opportunity. 
Of  these,  150  belong  to  a house  of  Nantes.  The  delay  which 
has  occurred,  causing  a serious  expense,  they  receive  only 
what  is  sufficient  to  keep  them  alive  ; and  they  are  made  to 
go  out  for  a short  space  of  time  in  the  morning  and  evening, 
loaded  with  irons,  to  breathe  the  fresh  air,  of  which  they 
stand  in  need.  Parties  of  these  unhappy  persons  are  to  be 
seen  in  the  streets  ; and  I have  m)"self  encountered  several, 
dragging  themselves  along  with  difficulty,  being  restrained 
of  their  fetters  which  prevented  them  from  advancing  more 
than  a few  inches  at  a time.  I have  ^een  more  than  one  thus 
chained  in  the  open  day,  in  the  court  yard  of  some  public 
functionaries.  If  you  knew  all  the  infamous  transactions 


55 


or  rather  all  the  crimes,  which  the  thirst  of  gold  produces 
in  this  country,  you  would  scarcely  credit  such  atrocities. 
White  men,  officers  of  the  government,  have  been  seen 
causing  the  blacks  to  be  hunted  even  in  the  streets  of  St. 
Louis  ; that  is  to  say,  causing  blacks,  either  slave  or  free, 
to  be  seized  and  carried  off  to  the  coast,  where  a ship  was 
in  waiting  for  them.  In  one  instance,  a black  having  been 
kidnapped  in  this  manner,  the  next  day  his  mother  hastened 
to  offer  a sum  of  money  for  his  liberation.  The  honest 
white  took  the  money,  and  two  days  after,  both  mother  and 
son  were  shipped  off  for  America.  The  latter,  indignant 
at  the  outrage,  stabbed  himself,  saying,  ‘ Thou  white  man, 
devourer  of  blacks,  I cannot  revenge  myself  upon  thee,  but 
by  depriving  thee  of  mj'  person.’”  13th  Report  A.  I.  p.  99. 

“ Lieutenant  Hagan  describes  the  town  of  Cacheo  as  the 
most  wretched  slave  factory  he  ever  visited.  The  low,  damp, 
and  confined  cells  for  the  slaves  were  loathsome  in  the  ex- 
treme, many'  of  them  being  below  the  high  tide  mark  of 
the  river.  The  swamps  and  stagnant  pools  immediately  in 
the  rear  of  the  town,  render  Cacheo  assuredly'  the  most  un- 
healthy place  that  can  be  imagined  ; but  this  is  not  sufficient 
to  deter  the  slave  traders,  who  generally  lose  one  half  of 
, their  crews,  frequently  all  their  Europeans.’?  Sierra  Leone 
G. 1822. 

On  the  arrival  of  a vessel,  the  supercargo  lands  with  the 
goods  which  have  been  selected  to  suit  the  market,  and 
through  the  agency  of  a factor,  circulars  are  despatched  to 
the  neighbouring  kings,  acquainting  them  of  his  arrival,  and 
that  he  has  a handsome  assortment  of  goods  which  he  wishes 
to  dispose  of  for  slaves  in  a given  number  of  days.  They 
immediately  flock  to  the  depot  with  their  slaves,  which  they 
exchange  for  goods  at  the  rate  of  100  bars  per  head  ; in  the 
mean  time,  the  ves-sel  is  preparing  rice,  wood  and  water,  and 
when  the  slaves  are  collected,  they  are  all  embarked  in  one 
day  : the  same  night  the  vessel  puts  to  sea,  and  if  not  cap- 
tured during  the  first  night,  or  prevented  by'  the  weather, 
they  generally  succeed  in  getting  off.  At  the  present  pe- 
riod, a slave  vessel  receives  a full  cargo  on  her  arrival,  in  less 
than  one  third  of  the  time  vessels  were  formerly  detained. 
Cargoes  are  sometimes  collected  from  different  places,  in  which 
case,  canoes  and  canoe-men  are  hired  to  transport  them  to 
the  vessel,  or  to  some  convenient  spot,  until  a full  cargo  is 
in  readiness,  when  a few  hours  only  are  required  to  ship 
them.  In  a communication  made  to  the  British  Commis- 
sioners at  Sierra  Leone,  by  a trader  of  known  observation 
and  intelligence,  he  states,  Mr.  M‘Coy,  the  master  of  our 


56 


schooner,  saw  550  slaves  marched  from  the  old  French  fort 
(where  Cha  Cha,  the  chief  slaver  resides)  to  the  beach  in  one 
day,  and  from  thence  put  on  board  one  of  the  brigs  the  fol- 
lowing night.  One  corvette  had  sailed  a few  days  before 
our  arrival  with  upwards  of  800  on  board.  Two  of  the  cor- 
vettes were  chiefly  manned  with  American  sailors,  but 
shewed  no  flag ; the  other  was  Spanish,  the  Minerva.  She 
came  to  Accra  when  I was  there,  and  took  on  board  150 
in  one  night  from  Accra,  the  Caboceer  of  the  Dutch  Town. 
I afterwards  saw  125  slaves  in  one  house,  all  in  irons,  sit- 
ting in  three  rows  upon  the  floor.  At  Tradetown  we  met  a 
French  brig  and  schooner,  the  brig  direct  from  Nantes,  with 
a cargo  for  400  ; the  captain  had  his  goods  on  shove,  and 
was  purchasing  his  cargo  at  the  slave  house  on  the  beach, 
not  daring  as  usual  to  trust  king  Wise  at  his  town  in  the 
bush.  However,  his  majesty  had,  the  morning  I went  up 
to  his  town,  brought  in  thirty-five  prisoners,  whom  his  peo- 
ple had  caught  the  evening  before  in  a small  town  in  the  in- 
terior, and  who  were  intended  for  this  vessel.”  16th  Report 
A.  I.  p.  70. 

The  manner  in  which  most  of  the  American  slavers  carry 
on  their  trade  is  this  ; they  sail  from  the  U.  S.  to  some  port 
in  Cuba,  with  a cargo  of  blue  and  white  cottons,  India  checks, 
nankin,  powder,  tobacco,  &c.  where  they  make  a sham  sale  of 
the  vessel,  for  the  purpose  of  procuringa  set  of  Spanish  papers. 
The  officers  make  oath  that  the  cargo,  entitled  to  debenture, 
has  been  landed,  and  procure  the  requisite  certificates, 
whilst  every  article  has  remained  untouched  onboard.  They 
then  take  on  board  a Spaniard,  who  passes  for  the  captain, 
though  perhaps  this  is  his  first  voyage  to  sea,  hoist  the 
Spanish  flag,  and  proceed  to  the  coast  of  Africa,  north  of  the 
line^  keeping  three  log  books,  two  in  Spanish,  one  true  and 
the  other  false,  and  one  in  English.  Having  obtained  their 
human  cargo,  and  escaped  the  vigilance  of  the  cruizers  oh 
the  coast,  the  next  plan  is  to  arrange  the  logbook  to  be  pro- 
duced in  Cuba,  which  must  shew  that  the  slaves  were  ship- 
]>ed  south  of  the  line,  and  the  vessel  with  her  cargo  is  then 
admitted  to  entry.  When  overhauled  by  the  English  or 
Patriot  privateers,  they  exhibit  American  papers,  and  when 
by  the  Americans,  Spanish  papers,  by  which  means  many 
escape  capture  and  condemnation.  See  letter  from  Cape  de 
Verds,  dated  May  29,  1820,  published  in  the  Boston  Pa- 
triot a few  months  after. 

The  following  significant  extracts  of  a correspondence, 
dated  Isle  of  Bourbon,  and  found  on  board  “ Le  Succes” 
are  a striking  delineation  of  the  probity  and  veracity  of  a 


57 


slave  captain  and  his  crew.  The  vessel  performed  quaran- 
tine, though  the  slaves  had  been  landed  and  disposed  of. 
The  captain  says,  “ All  the  crew  have  been  confined  on 
board,  with  two  soldiers  of  the  garrison.  On  the  13th  after 
our  arrival,  I obtained  permission  to  proceed  on  shore.  The 
harbour  master  had  orders  to  accompany  me  to  a justice  of 
the  peace,  by  whom  I,  as  well  as  the  officers  and  crew,  were 
examined  on  oath.  The  crew  had  been  previously  tutored., 
and  they  all  answered  very  properly.  [There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  this  proper  answer  which  the  officers  and  crew 
were  instructed  to  make  was  a direct  falsehood.]  We  there- 
fore entertain  the  greatest  hope  that  we  shall  get  safely 
through  all  these  unpleasant  proceedings.  We  have  the  laws 
in  our  favour  ; but  great  delay  is  caused  in  my  operations  ; 
the  cargo,  however,  is  safe,  thank  God  !”  “ We  were  not 

taken  in  the  fact,  therefore  they  cannot  condemn  us.  All  the 
judges  are  colonists,  who  have  themselves  purchased  ne- 
groes belonging  to  our  cargo,  and  therefore  ive  are  perfectly 
easy,  and  you  may  be  so  too.”  “ I shall  transmit  you  by 
the  first  opportunity  my  statement  of  trading  transactions, 
which,  however,  will  not  be  very  specific,  from  the  circum- 
stance of  my  having  been  under  the  necessity  of  burning  my 
waste  book  and  journal,  our  instructions,  invoices,  and  even 
your  letters,  which  came  to  hand  on  our  arrival  at  Bourbon, 
and  the  letters  from  our  families,  lieing  apprehensive  of  a 
search  on  board.  We  even  sunk  in  the  roads  our  caboose, 
and  the  copper  boilers  for  the  negroes,  and  the  iron  fetters : 
but  we  may  easily  recover  them.”  “ You  will  herewith  re- 
ceive the  account  of  sales  of  the  merchandize  sold  at  Bourbon, 
and  that  of  the  negroes.  It  unfortunately  happened  that  I 
found  four  large  Spanish  ships  engaged  in  the  trade  ; but  for 
this  adverse  circumstance,  I might  have  procured  near  400 
negroes.  The  Success  takes  her  departure  to-morrow  for  St. 
Paul’s,  to  sweep  for  the  copper  boilers,  and  the  negroes’  ca- 
boose, &c.  On  the  30th  I will  rejoin  her  in  order  to  pro- 
ceed to  sea.  At  length  our  miseries  are  over.  The  Isle  of 
Bourbon  has  cost  us  dear.  It  must  not  be  dwelt  upon.  If 
I should  only  have  the  good  fortune  of  introducing  250  ne- 
groes into  the  Havanna,  we  shall  be  freed  from  all  our  mi- 
series. God  grant  it  may  be  so.”  I6th  Report  A.  I.  p.  149. 

As  the  slave  trade  is  now  generally  prohibited  by  those  go- 
vernments, whose  subjects  or  citizens  are  engaged  in  its 
prosecution,  it  appears  to  be  carried  on  in  a manner  more 
abhorrent  to  the  feelings  of  humanity,  and  more  destructive 
to  its  victims,  than  before  those  prohibitory  laws  were  enacted. 
While  the  trade  was  tolerated,  the  abuses,  however  enor- 


58 


mous,  were  subjected  to  some  control,  from  which  the  trader 
who  now  pursues  his  traffic  in  defiance  of  national,  as  well 
as  moral  restiaint,  is  totally  free.  The  number  of  negroes 
which  each  slave  ship  was  allowed  to  transport,  could  then 
be  adapted  to  her  burden  ; the  maintenance  of  these  poor- 
creatures  in  a certain  degree  could  be  provided  for,  and  they 
more  or  less  protected  from  the  barbarity  of  their  tyrants. 
In  order  to  conceive,  if  possible,  some  idea  of  the  horrors  of 
the  middle  passage,  it  will  be  useful  to  recur  to  a section  of 
a slave  ship,  published  by  the  committee  in  London  in  the 
year  1789,  and  frequently  printed  since  in  Clarkson’s  His- 
tory of  the  Abolition  of  the  Slave  Trade.  Here  the  unhappy 
victims  are  exhibited  stowed  so  closely,  as  to  leave  scarcely 
any  part  of  the  floor  uncovered.  Their  situation,  when  thus 
confined  in  a sultry  climate,  loaded  with  heavy  irons,  and 
depressed  with  the  prospect  of  a hopeless  captivity,  must  be 
deplorable  indeed.  This  representation  too,  it  must  be  re- 
membered, is  according  to  the  regulations  established  by  Sir 
William  Dolbin’s  bill,  assigning  three  men  to  two  tons  bur- 
den of  the  ship.  Now  the  traffic  is  entirely  prohibited,  the 
risk  induces  the  slavers  to  crowd  the  negroes  into  their  ves- 
sels in  much  greater  numbers,  and  to  compel  them  by  stripes 
and  cruel  tortures  to  continue  in  this  intolerable  situation, 
unless  disease  and  death  should  thin  their  ranks.  When 
closely  pursued  by  armed  cruizers,  they  have  been  even 
thrown  overboard,  as  contraband  goods  ; and  when  rendered 
useless  to  their  captors  by  disease,  they  have  been  cast  into 
the  sea,  as  damaged  goods  subject  to  average.  In  a letter 
written  by  an  officer  on  board  the  British  ship  Tartar,  on  the 
coast  of  Africa,  printed  in  the  London  Courier  September 
3d,  1821,  after  stating  the  capture  of  two  slave  vessels  at 
Bonny,  he  says,  “ If  you  could  judge  what  400  people  would 
suffer  in  the  between-decks  of  a Margate  hoy,  not  above 
three  feet  six  inches  high,  you  may  form  some  opinion  of 
the  necessity  there  was  for  removing  a considerable  number 
of  these  wretched  beings  to  the  deck  of  the  Tartar,  and 
liberating  them  from  their  horrid  slave  rooms,  and  from  the 
confinement  in  irons  as  soon  as  possible.  One  of  the  slave 
vessels  captured,  had  been  completed  in  her  cargo  of  human 
misery  only  two  days,  and  was  waiting  a favourable  wind  to 
clear  the  shoals,  and  yet  there  were  more  than  thirty  cases 
of  the  very  last  stage  of  dysentery.  The  dying  and  the  dead 
were  mingled  together.  The  women  were  comparatively 
comfortable,  and  yet  there  were  nearly  100  confined  in  a 
space  not  4 feet  high,  nor  above  16  feet  by  9 to  sleep  in.  I 
can  speak  to  these  facts,  as  I measured  every  part  of  these 
vessels.  Their  tubs  shewed  they  were  not  exempt  from  the 


59 


dreadful  disease  which  had  already  commenced  amongst  the 
men,  and  which  the  nature  of  slave  food  with  impure  water 
invariably  produces.  Nothing  can  be  supposed  more  hor- 
rid, than  the  treatment  and  condition  of  the  slaves  on  their 
passage  from  Africa.  Fever  and  dysentery  let  loose,  the 
hatches  scarcely  open  to  admit  sufficient  air  even  to  prevent 
immediate  suffocation  ! Perhaps  you  will  hesitate  in  be- 
lieving, that  the  thermometer  which  stood  in  the  shade  at 
85,  rose  immediately  at  the  entrance  of  the  slave  room  to 
110,  and  at  last  to  115  degrees.”  Nat.  Int.  Oct.  27,  1821. 

Sir  William  Dolbin’s  bill,  as  we  have  stated,  provided 
that  not  more  than  three  persons  should  be  carried  to  every 
two  tons  burden  of  the  ship  : let  the  following  cases,  laid 
before  parliament  by  direction  of  the  Prince  Regent  in  1819, 
be  compared  with  this  provision.  The  Venus  Havannera, 
180  tons,  her  cargo  according  to  W Dolbin’s  bill  would 
be  270  slaves  ; the  number  actually  carried  was  530,  very 
nearly  6 to  every  2 tons.  The  Manilla  of  272  tons,  legal 
complement  410,  number  carried  642.  The  Nueva  Con- 
stitucion,  30  tons  burden,  with  81  slaves,  and  several  others 
enumerated  p.  72.  13th  Report  A.  I. 

From  the  testimony  of  an  eye  witness,  it  appears  that  on 
board  the  schooner  Aglae,  of  the  registered  burthen  of  only 
40  tons,  with  a hold,  by  actual  measurement,  not  3 feet  high, 
were  stowed  70  men,  chained  together  in  pairs  ; 22  young 
women,  and  about  60  children,  all  in  a state  of  perfect  naked- 
ness. The  only  care  seemed  to  have  been,  to  pack  them  as 
close  as  possible  ; and  tarpaulin  was  placed  over  tarpaulin, 
in  order  to  give  the  vessel  the  appearance  of  being  laden 
with  a well  stowed  cargo  of  cotton  and  rice.  9th  Report 
A.  I.  p.  86. 

“ The  Novo  Felicidada  of  11  tons  burden,  had  71  human 
beings  crowded  in  her  hold.  Their  sufferings,  surpassing  in 
cruelty  if  possible,  all  former  example,  are  related  as  fol- 
lows in  the  l’4th  Report  A.  I. 

“ Captain  Kelly  of  his  Majesty’s  ship  Pheasant,  captured 
on  the  30th  of  July  last,  in  lat.  2°  23'  north,  long.  9°  50' 
east,  a Portuguese  schooner,  called  the  Novo  Felicidada, 
belonging  to  Prince’s  Island,  having  on  board  70  slaves, 
and  a crew  consisting  of  1 master  and  10  sailors.  This  ves- 
sel measured  only  11  tons  ! She  was  carried  by  Captain 
Kelly  to  Sierra  Leone  for  adjudication,  and  his  judicial  de- 
claration contains  the  following  statement : “ I do  further 
declare,  that  the  state  in  which  these  unfortunate  creatures 
were  found,  is  shocking  to  every  principle  of  humanity  ; 
17  men  shackled  together  in  pairs  by  the  legs,  and  20  boys 
one  »n  the  other  in  the  main  hold ; a space  measuring  18 


60 


iect  in  length,  7 leet  8 inches  main  breadtli,  and  I foot  8 
inches  in  height,  and  under  them  the  yams  for  their  support. 
One  of  these  unfortunate  creatures  was  in  the  last  stage  of 
d}'sentcry,  whose  natural  evacuations  ran  involuntarily  from 
him  amongst  the  yams,  creating  effluvia  too  shocking  for 
description.  The  appearance  of  the  slaves  when  released 
from  their  irons,  was  most  distressing ; scarcely  any  of 
them  could  stand  on  their  legs,  from  cramp  and  evident 
starvation.  The  space  allowed  for  the  females,  34  in  num- 
ber, was  even  more  contracted  than  that  for  the  men,  mea- 
suring only  9 feet  4 inches  in  length,  4 feet  8 inches  main 
breadth,  and  2 feet  7 inches  in  height ; but  not  being  con- 
fined in  irons,  and  perhaps  allowed  during  the  day  to  come 
on  deck,  they  did  not  present  so  distressing  an  appearance 
as  the  men.” 

From  the  statements  of  facts  of  the  character  here  exhi- 
bited, there  can  be  no  difficulty  in  adopting  the  sentiment  of 
Sir  G.  R.  Collier,  “that  the  crews  of  slave  vessels  are  be- 
“ 5'ond  all  question,  from  the  captain  to  the  cabin  boy,  the 
“ vilest  and  most  depraved  class  of  human  beings.  In  my 
“ belief,  there  is  not  a crime  they  consider  one,  and  there- 
“ fore  whenever  a prospect  of  robbery  with  impunity  offers, 
“ I can  have  no  doubt  any  one  of  the  crew  of  a slave  ves- 
“ sel  would  never  for  a moment  hesitate.”  In  contending 
with  the  present  restrictions  upon  the  trade,  perjurj'  is  very 
commonly  resorted  to,  and  by  the  following  instance,  we 
see  they  do  not  stop  to  commit  immediate  murder,  when 
circumstances  of  the  case  in  their  opinion  require  it.  “ The 

schooner Don  Morales  master,  arrived  in  the  Rio 

Pongos  during  the  month  of  August  last  (1821),  where  she 
took  on  board  260  slaves,  and  sailed  in  the  beginning  of 
September  for  Havanna.  Our  informant  states,  that  the 
master  (Morales),  when  trading  for  his  cargo,  exhibited 
many  instances  of  a ferocity  of  character  towards  his  slaves  ; 
but  it  appears  that  after  leaving  the  river,  his  cruelty  had  its 
full  scope.  The  number  of  slaves  on  board  being  quite  dis- 
proportionate to  the  stowage  of  the  schooner,  he  was  obliged 
from  the  first  to  issue  short  rations  of  water  and  rice,  in 
co-nsequence  of  which,  some  discontent  w^as  manifested  by 
the  slaves.  Morales,  deaf  to  their  wants,  by  way  of  punish- 
ment, kept  them  all  below  for  three  days  without  food  of 
any  kind,  and  with  a barbarity  unparalleled,  except  amongst 
slave  dealers,  discharged  all  the  fire-arms  in  his  vessel  into 
the  hold  upon  the  poor  victims,  bound  down  and  fastened  to 
each  other  with  chains.  Some  of  the  sailors  presumed  to 
interfere  ; but  this  barbarian  silenced  their  clamour,  by  cut- 
ting off  the  head  of  the  most  forward  with  his  sabre.  He 


61 


then  made  sail  again  for  the  Rio  Pongos,  where  with  the  as- 
sistance of  the  slave  factors,  he  got  every  thing  put  to  rights, 
took  in  slaves  to  supply  the  number  killed,  and  again  sailed 
for  the  Havanna.  The  above  facts  are  from  the  mouth  of 
Morales  himself ; and  we  feel  it  unnecessary  to  offer  any 
further  comments  upon  them.”  Royal  Gazette,  Sierra  Leone, 
I6th  Report  A.  I.  p.  185. 

It  will  appear  by  the  following  cases  furnished  in  reply  to 
the  query  addressed  by  Viscount  Castlereagh  to  the  African 
Institution,  “ whether  the  trade  has  been  conducted  with  pe- 
culiar inhumanity  and  waste  of  life  by  these  illicit  traders,” 
that  from  one  quarter  to  one  third  of  the  cargo  usually 
perishes  either  on  ship  board,  or  soon  after  landing,  by  the 
diseases  and  hardships  of  the  voyage. 

“Of  the  530  slaves  carried  off. in  the  Venus  Havannera, 
when  captured  on  her  passage  to  the  Havanna  and  carried 
into  Tortola,  the  mortality  was  found  to  be  120. 

“The  deaths  in  the  Manilla  of  642  slaves,  on  the  passage 
to  the  West  Indies  previous  to  her  capture,  amounted  to 
140. 

“ The  Gertrudes,  a ship  sailing  under  the  Spanish  flag,  took 
on  board  600  slaves.  This  ship  was  taken  while  yet  on  the 
African  coast,  and  brought  to  Sierra  Leone  for  adjudication  ; 
but  notwithstanding  the  short  time  that  had  elapsed  since 
the  slaves  were  taken  on  board,  such  was  the  dreadful  state 
of  crowding,  that  about  200  died  before  the  ship  was  brought 
in,  or  within  a short  time  after  arrival  ; many  even  of  those 
who  survived,  were  so  debilitated  by  their  sufferings,  as 
never  to  be  likely  to  enjoy  sound  health. 

“ Maria  Priemeira,  took  on  board  500  slaves.  This  num- 
ber was  reduced  to  403  by  extreme  crowding  before  she  was 
brought  into  Sierra  Leone,  and  nearly  100  more  died  soon 
after,  in  consequence  of  diseases  contracted  on  board. 

“ Portuguese  brig  San  Antonio  of  120  tons,  took  on  board 
600  slaves.  When  captured,  although  she  had  only  sailed 
80  leagues,  30  slaves  had  already  died,  and  many  more 
w'ere  found  to  be  in  a dying  state.  When  the  capturing  of- 
ficer first  went  on  board  the  slave  ship,  he  found  a dead 
body  in  a state  of  absolute  putridity,  lying  among  the  sick. 

“The  Spanish  brig  Carlos  under  200  tons  burthen,  took  on 
board  512  negroes  in  addition  to  a crew  of  84.  About  80 
slaves  died  previous  to  her  capture,  and  the  rest  were  in  a 
most  deplorable  state.  Many  more  instances  might  be  added, 
but  these  may  be  considered  as  exhibiting  the  ordinary  rate 
of  mortality  on  board  the  ships  engaged  in  this  illicit  slave 
trade.”  13th  Report  A.  I.  p.  72,  73. 


t 


62 


Although  these  facts  are  not  of  so  recent  a date  as  many 
others  adduced,  yet  they  are  equally  conclusive,  as  the  trade 
carried  on  under  similar  circumstances,  must  be  at  all  times 
marked  with  similar  destruction  of  life. 

Here  let  us  pause  for  a moment,  and  reflect  upon  the  melan- 
choly picture  of  distress  which  these  facts  exhibit.  Let  us  open 
our  hearts,  and  give  place  for  awhile  to  the  tender  emotions 
of  sympathy  and  love.  Let  us  place  ourselves  and  our  helpless 
families  in  the  miserable  situation  of  these  unprotected,  these 
unoffending  people,  and  then  say  whether  as  men  and  as  Chris- 
tians, we  are  not  bound  by  all  the  ties  of  humanity,  as  well 
as  by  every  obligation  of  religious  duty,  to  raise  our  voice, 
and  to  exert  our  influence  in  their  behalf ! But  although  the 
feeling  mind,  in  examining  the  foregoing  statements,  will 
necessarily  be  impressed  lyith  strong  sensations  of  indigna- 
tion and  horror,  yet  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  description, 
with  all  the  assistance  which  the  imagination  can  afford,  is 
still  very  inadequate  to  convey  a just  idea  of  the  miseries 
inseparably  connected  with  this  traffic.  To  contemplate 
hundreds  of  miserable  fellow  beings,  torn  away  with  brutal 
violence  from  their  homes  and  country,  and  every  thing  which 
nature  or  habit  holds  most  dear  ; separated  for  ever  from  the 
tenderest  and  loveliest  connexions  in  life  ; chained  together 
like  the  beasts  of  the  field,  and  crowded  into  the  pestilential 
hold  of  a slave  ship,  where  they  must  gasp  for  breath  with 
all  those  laborious  and  anxious  efforts  for  life,  which  ex- 
piring nature  exhibits  ; the  living,  the  dying  and  the  dead, 
stowed  promiscuously  together,  and  subjected  to  the  con- 
trol of  the  most  merciless  of  men  : and  to  reflect  that  these 
are  our  fellow  men,  our  brethren,  endued  with  feelings  like 
our  own  ; children  of  the  same  kind  and  bountiful  parent, 
and  equally  the  objects  of  Redeeming  Love,  is  surely  enough 
to  excite  feelings  of  the  tenderest  commiseration,  and  an 
anxious  solicitude  to  arrest,  if  possible,  this  scourge  of  man. 
Bitter,  very  bitter  indeed,  is  the  cup  of  woe  meted  out  to 
hapless  Africa,  and  she  has  been  compelled  to  drink  it  to 
the  very  dregs.  All  the  injuries  and  the  cruelties  whioh 
ingenuity,  sharpened  by  avarice  could  Invent,  have  been 
heaped  upon  her,  till  her  once  peaceful  and  happy  shores 
are  stained  with  the  blood  of  her  children,  and  desolated  by 
all  the  barbarizing  mischiefs  of  slavery  and  the  slave  trade. 
And  it  now  becomes  us  to  enquire,  what  we  can  do  to  di- 
minish the  grievous  load  of  suffei  ing  which  still  presses  hea- 
vily upon  her.  Her  suffering  sons  call  aloud  for  redress : 
their  tears,  their  sighs,  their  groans  and  supplications,  are  a 
loud  and  touching  appeal  to  the  best  feelings  of  our  nature  ; 


63 


and  if  we  turn  a deaf  ear  and  refuse  to  hearken,  we  may  im- 
plicate ourselves  in  the  weight  of  guilt  for  which  her  perse- 
cutors are  responsible,  and  thus  render  ourselves  offensive 
in  the  Divine  sight.  “ Open  thy  mouth  for  the  dumb — in 
the  cause  of  all  such  as  are  appointed  to  destruction.” 


These  details  of  cruelty  and  injustice  not  only  excite  a 
heartfelt  abhorrence  of  this  execrable  traffic  in  the  blood  of 
our  fellow  men,  but  strike  the  unprejudiced  mind  with  the 
conviction,  that  much  is  due  to  repair  the  wrongs  and  the 
sufferings  which  are  inflicted  on  that  deeply  injured  people. 
Great  Britain  has  set  the  example,  in  her  endeavours  to 
make  some  amends  for  these  injuries,  and  the  benefits  which 
have  already  accrued  to  the  degraded  and  benighted  chil- 
dren of  Africa,  through  the  unwearied  exertions  of  the 
friends  of  that  people  in  England,  seconded  and  assisted  by 
the  government,  are  a subject  of  pleasing  coutemplation, 
and  should  stimulate  others  to  “ go  and  do  likewise.”  From 
the  happy  effects  of  British  benevolence  and  perseverance, 
exhibited  at  the  colony  of  Sierra  Leone,  in  the  improvement 
of  the  liberated  negroes  in  literature,  and  the  knowledge  of 
the  useful  arts  of  civilized  life,  there  is  good  ground  to  be- 
lieve, that  by  enlightening  the  natives,  and  encouraging  them 
to  seek  the  means  of  subsistence  in  the  culture  of  their  lands, 
and  the  exchange  of  the  products  of  their  labour,  for  the 
manufactures  and  produce  of  other  countries,  a very  impor- 
tant and  extensive  check  would  be  given  to  the  unnatural 
commerce  in  their  own  species.  This  opinion,  in  unison 
with  the  following  observations  of  Dr.  E.  Ayres,  U.  S. 
agent  for  liberated  Africans,  extracted  from  a communica- 
tion to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  dated  February  24,  1823, 
is  substantiated  by  the  representations  of  various  persons, 
who  have  visited  and  resided  at  Sierra  Leone. 

Speaking  of  the  slave  trade,  he  says,  “ The  means  hereto- 
fore made  use  of  for  its  suppression,  can  never  accomplish 
this  desirable  object,  until  France  can  be  induced  to  enter 
with  sincerity  into  effectual  measures,  to  prevent  her  flag 
from  affording  protection  to  all,  who  choose  tc  take  shelter 
under  it.  Until  this  fortunate  arrangement  shall  be  entered 
into,  it  becomes  an  enteresting  enquiry,  what  other  means 
could  be  made  use  of  under  the  existing  state  of  things,  to 
lessen  the  extent,  and  abate  the  miseries  of  this  enormous 
traffic.  I am  happy  in  being  able  to  state  with  confidence, 
that  such  means  do  exist  and  are  entirely  within  our  con- 


trol  as  far  as  respects  the  natives  within  the  vicinity  of  our 
settlement.  Hence  I will  hazard  the  assertion,  founded  on 
personal  observation  of  the  character  of  the  natives,  their  fa- 
cility in  acquiring  our  language,  their  desire  of  adopting  our 
mechanical  arts,  and  the  attainments  they  have  already  made 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  British  settlements,  that  had  half  the 
money  which  has  been  spent  by  the  British  and  American 
governments,  in  legislating  on  the  subject  and  in  bringing 
to  justice  the  violators  of  the  laws  on  the  slave  trade,  been 
judiciously  employed  in  the  introduction  of  the  arts,  and  the 
promotion  of  agriculture  among  the  natives,  Africa  would 
not  at  this  day,  have  to  lament  the  loss  of  so  many  of  her 
sons,  and  her  dependance  upon  the  sale  of  her  children,  for 
the  necessaries  of  life.  England  has  done  much,  very  much 
for  that  benighted  country.  Immense  sums  have  been  ex- 
pended, but  until  very  lately,  little  progress  had  been  effect- 
ed among  the  natives,  towards  the  introduction  of  civilized 
improvements.  A better  order  of  things  has  succeeded. 
The  last  year  was  a memorable  era  for  Africa.  A pacifica- 
tion was  brought  about,  between  two  potverful  kings  of  the 
interior,  who  had  been  in  a state  of  hostility  for  many  years. 
This  has  opened  a large  tract  of  country  to  the  trade  of 
Freetown,  in  which  lies  the  extensive  nation  of  the  Mendin- 
goes.  A travelling  priest  has  arrived  from  Egypt,  through 
the  interior  and  by  Tombuctoo,  from  whose  representations, 
there  was  a new  map  of  Africa  forming,  when  1 left  that 
country. 

“ A very  favourable  crisis  has  arrived  for  the  introduc- 
tion of  a new  course  of  life  among  the  natives.  For  two 
hundred  years  past,  they  have  been  taught  to  depend  upon 
the  sale  of  their  species  for  the  necessaries  of  life,  to  the  ne- 
glect of  every  other  mode  of  supply.  This  has  rendered 
them  incapable  of  gaining  a subsistence  in  any  other  way. 
The  interruption  given  to  the  slave  trade  has  rendered  the 
supply  from  this  source  irregular  and  often  scanty.  The 
cry  of  hard  times,  is  perhaps  not  less  frequently  vociferated 
in  the  wild  and  luxuriant  regions  of  Africa,  than  in  the 
streets  of  the  gay  and  voluptuous  cities  of  civilized  countries. 
Many  in  that  country,  are  looking  forward  with  anxious  so- 
licitude, to  some  less  exceptionable  and  more  certain  supply 
of  those  articles,  which  from  bad  habit  are  considered  as  the 
necessaries  of  life.  Could  they  be  supplied  with  the  instru- 
ments of  agriculture  and  many  of  the  mechanical  arts,  and 
taught  how  to  use  them,  they  would  joyfully  renounce  their 
present  mode  of  living.  When  I explained  to  one  of  the 
most  powerful  kings  in  the  country,  our  method  of  ginning. 


65 


spinning  and  weaving  cotton,  and  told  him  I would  learn  his 
people  how  to  do  it,  he  was  much  pleased,  and  pressed  me 
to  fetch  his  son  home  with  me,  that  he  might  acquire  the 
ability  of  introducing  those  arts  into  his  country.  A small 
present  of  hoes,  axes,  ploughs,  &c.  with  instructions  how  to 
use  them,  would  now  effect  a great  revolution  in  the  habits 
of  these  people.  They  would  in  a little  time  see  that  the  la- 
bour of  one  year  from  each  slave,  would  be  worth  more,  than 
they  are  in  the  habit  of  receiving,  for  his  final  purchase.  This 
alone  would  prevent  his  being  sold  as  a slave,  or  should  the 
force  of  long  habit,  still  blind  the  eyes  of  the  native  holder 
to  his  own  interest,  yet  the  value  of  the  slave  would  be  so 
much  enhanced,  and  detract  so  much  from  the  profit,  that 
the  trader  w'ould  be  deterred  from  hazarding  the  conse- 
quences of  the  trade.” 

Various  documents  contained  in  the  16th  report  of  the 
African  Institution  in  London,  give  ample  evidence  of 
the  labours  of  the  friends  of  humanity  for  the  annihilation 
of  the  slave  trade,  some  of  which  have  been  accompanied 
with  a cheering  result.  By  successive  treaties  with  Radama, 
king  of  Madagascar,  the  slave  trade  which  had  so  long  wast- 
ed that  fine  and  fertile  land,  is  discontinued  in  his  domi- 
nions. “ One  of  the  conditions  of  the  last  treaty  was,  that 
twenty  Madagascar  youths  should  be  taken  under  the  care 
of  the  British  government ; and  that  ten  of  them  should  be 
placed  at  the  Isle  of  France,  there  to  acquire  the  knowledge 
of  certain  useful  arts,  and  that  the  other  ten  should  be  sent 
to  England  for  the  same  purpose.  This  condition  has  been 
fulfilled.”  The  power  of  the  king  is  absolute,  and  by  differ- 
ent accounts,  the  treaty  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade 
is  observed  with  scrupulous  exactness  ; and  so  long  as  its 
stipulations  are  mutually  complied  with,  it  is  the  opinion  of 
Captain  Moresby,  that  more  will  be  done  for  the  cause  of 
humanity  in  the  extinction  of  the  traffic  in  that  place,  “ than 
the  most  active  marine  or  coast  police  could  possibly  per- 
form.”— p.  38  & 379. 

The  progress  of  agriculture,  mechanics  and  commerce 
among  the  coloured  inhabitants  of  Sierra  Leone,  as  related 
in  the  report,  affords  an  encouraging  prospect.  In  the  year 
1821,  there  were  10,000  liberated  negroes  in  that  colony  dis- 
tributed throughout  its  different  towns  and  villages.  On 
the  arrival  and  condemnation  of  a captured  slave  vessel, 
those  of  a proper  age  are  named  and  sent  to  the  adjacent 
villages.  A house  and  lot  is  appointed  to  each  family,  and 
they  are  supportfed  one  year  by  government,  at  the  expira- 
tion of  which  they  are  obliged  to  look  out  for  a subsistence 

I 


66 


tliemselves.  The  captured  children  are  also  sent  to  the  vil- 
lages, where  they  are  kept  at  school  till  married,  which  is 
always  at  an  early  age.  Schools  are  established  in  Freetown, 
Regent,  Gloucester,  Leopold,  Bathurst,  Charlotte,  Kissey, 
Waterloo,  Wilberforce,  Kent,  and  Seminary  Regent,  in 
which  were  instructed  that  year  1959  adults  and  children  of 
both  sexes, 

A spirit  for  advancing  their  local  accommodations  was 
evident  from  the  improvement  of  the  roads  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Freetown,  and  in  the  mountains ; the  bridges 
have  been  constructed  of  more  durable  materials  than  here- 
tofore ; considerably  more  ground  has  been  cleared  in  the 
environs  of  the  mountains,  numerous  stone  and  brick  houses 
are  supplying  the  places  of  the  former  wooden  ones,  and 
population  is  rapidly  increasing.  There  was  imported  into 
Freetown  this  year  goods  invoiced  at  105,060/.  sterling, 
and  exported  in  26  vessels,  upwards  of  15  tons  and  16 
casks  of  elephant’s  teeth  and  scrivelloes,  49,752  gallons  of 
palm  oil,  167  tons  and  1276  billets  of  Camwood,  I5  tons  of 
gum  copal,  2 tons  9 cwt.  bees  wax,  2304  oz,  gold  dust, 
23  oz.  gold,  and  424  tons  of  rice,  besides  different  grains, 
spices,  timber,  shingles,  and  many  other  articles  of  mer- 
chandize. G.  R.  Collier,  expresses  his  satisfaction  in  re- 
porting, that  the  settlement  of  Bathurst  is  fast  improving  in 
trade  and  commerce  with  the  native  Africans.  The  mer- 
chants are  likely  to  benefit  in  a very  high  degree  by  the  re- 
newal of  the  gum  trade  with  the  Trarzar  Moors  at  Porten- 
dick.  The  British  merchants  engaged  in  the  trade  assert, 
that  gum  to  the  full  extent  of  what  may  be  required  by 
Great  Britain,  may  be  had  in  exchange  for  British  goods. 

Regent’s  Town,  says  Captain  H.  Turner,  in  a letter  of  1822, 
wears  the  aspect  of  a well  peopled  village  in  our  happy  land ; 
its  inhabitants  civilized,  industrious,  honest  and  neatly 
clothed.  The  ground  allotted  to  each  family  is  cultivated, 
each  lot  being  distinctly  marked  out.  The  town  contains 
nearly  2000  inhabitants. 

“Wellington,”  says  the  Sierra  Leone  Gazette,  “has  a 
very  respectable  appearance.  There  are  300  houses  in  it ; 
each  house  stands  in  a small  allotment,  and  the  inhabitants 
cultivate  their  farms  about  the  country  surrounding  them. 
There  are  no  less  than  200  farmers,  40  lime-burners,  30 
sawyers,  and  10  shingle  makers,  besides  a few  carpenters, 
masons  and  a blacksmith.  There  are  upwards  of  200  acres 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  town,  under  cultivation ; several  men 
have  raised  this  year  a ton  and  a half  of  rice,  and  a large 
quantity  of  cassada,  cocoa  and  Guinea  com.  The  inha-' 


6/ 

bftants  are  commended  for  their  orderly  and  industrious 
habits.”  p.  334. 

“ The  town  of  Gloucester,  Leopold,  Charlotte  and  Ba- 
thurst, all  appear  to  be  thriving.  Gloucester  is  next  in  size 
to  Regent’s  Town,  and  by  no  means  inferior  in  its  progress 
in  religious  improvement  and  civilization.” 

The  Gazette,  under  date  of  September  1,  1821,  remarks, 
“ It  is  gratifying  to  know,  that  within  the  last  fortnight,  a 
great  many  Foulahs,  and  other  nations  from  distant  parts, 
have  arrived  at  Port  Logo  for  the  purpose  of  bartering  ivory, 
gold  and  cattle,  for  articles  of  European  manufacture.  It  is 
not  generally  known,  that  Mr.  K.  Macaulay,  established  a 
respectable  trading  factory  at  Port  Logo,  so  soon  as  the  suc- 
cess of  the  late  mission  to  Almamy  Abdulkadan  was  pub- 
lickly  known.  To  this  factory,  the  nativ'es  of  Foulah  now 
daily  resort,  and  it  is  certainly  most  pleasing  to  all  real 
friends  to  Africa,  and  to  those  of  this  colony  more  espe- 
cially, to  find  that  by  the  friendly  intercourse  which  ensued 
from  the  late  mission,  so  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  near  and 
remote  countries,  are  endeavouring  to  participate  in  the  ad- 
vantages of  that  legitimate  commerce,  which  led  to  the  ori- 
ginal foundation  of  this  colony.  They  are  well  acquainted 
with  the  views  and  leading  objects  of  the  local  government, 
and  are  likewise  well  aware  of  the  rooted  hatred,  with  which 
that  inhuman  traffic  is  viewed  by  every  inhabitant  of  this 
colony.  It  is  therefore  a great  point  gained  in  our  friendly 
and  commercial  intercourse  with  these  warlike  nations,  who 
have  ever  shewn  the  greatest  attachment  to  the  slave  trade, 
that  they  now  so  freely  resort  to  this  colony,  and  are  en- 
couraged to  do  so,  as  much  by  the  influence  of  Almamv  of 
Teembo  and  other  chiefs,  as  by  the  love  of  gain.”  p.  332. 

“ Every  year,”  says  G.  R.  Collier,  “ some  new  prospect  of 
improvement  opens  to  the  merchant.  An  intercourse  witjj  the 
interior  of  Africa  now  fairly  promises  ultimate  success,  and 
which  must  be  productive  to  Great  Britain ; and  it  may  be 
even  expected  that  some  years  hence,  caravans  shall  resort  to 
the  neighbourhood  of  Port  Logo  (on  a branch  of  the  Sierra 
Leone)  to  convey  articles  of  British  manufacture  into  the 
very  interior  of  the  continent  of  Africa.”  p.  343. 

An  intelligent  trader  on  the  coast,  states,  “ along  the 
whole  range  of  coast,  where  the  restrictions  may  be  consider- 
ed as  having  been  effective,  (that  is  from  Accra  to  Trade- 
town)  industrious  habits  are  extending  their  beneficial  in- 
fluence among  the  inhabitants  ; a greater  attention  to  agri- 
cultural and  commercial  pursuits  is  evidently  increasing, 
and  these  pursuits  want  only  encouragement  to  render  them 


68 


productive  of  extensive  gain  to  the  merchants,  and  to  make 
them  the  means  of  supplying  the  increasing  wants  of  the  na- 
tives. A s a proof  that  on  the  total  abolition  of  the  traffic  in 
slaves,  the  Africans  would,  in  the  course  of  a short  time, 
turn  their  attention  to  other  pursuits,  I would  refer  you  to 
the  fact,  that  though  previous  to  the  abolition,  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  Gold  coast  actually  purchased  palm  oil  from 
the  Lago  and  Benin  traders,  for  domestic  purposes  ; yet  in 
the  course  of  the  la'st  twelve  months,  there  were  shipped  from 
the  same  country,  above  500  tons  of  that  commodity.” 
Speaking  of  the  inducements  held  out  for  settlers  from 
home,  he  proceeds,  “ Their  success  would  encourage  the  na- 
tives to  the  employing  of  their  numerous  domestic  slaves  in 
similar  objects,  which  is  what  is  chiefiy  wanted  to  lead  to 
the  rapid  civilization  and  improvement  of  the  African  peo- 
ple,” 

“ Along  the  whole  coast  from  the  Kroo  Country,  as  far 
as  Appollonia,  the  inhabitants  are  all  anxious  to  cultivate  a 
close  and  increased  connexion  with  the  English ; and  the 
chief  men  desirous  that  their  sons  should  r^ad  and  write,  or 
as  they  express  it,  “ to  know  book  all  the  same  as  white 
man.”  In  corroboration,  or  as  an  evidence  of  the  ex- 
istence of  this  spirit,  I have  only  to  acquaint  you  that  the 
Caboceers  of  Accra  and  of  Cape  Lahoo  sent  their  sons  with 
rne  to  this  place  to  be  educated  ; and  had  I been  aware  that 
the  object  would  have  been  so  liberally  met  by  the  govern- 
ment here,  I could  have  brought  two  or  three  of  the  chief’s 
sons  of  every  town  on  the  coast  where  I am  known.” 
p.  72. 

We  will  close  this  short  sketch  of  the  prosperous  state 
of  the  colony',  with  an  account  of  the  landing  of  a company 
of  liberated  Africans,  The  cheering  welcome  which  they 
met  with  from  their  own  countrymen,  who  had  also  escaped 
the.  ^rasp  of  the  slaver,  presents  a pleasing  contrast  to  those 
dreadful  midnight  scenes  of  carnage  and  devastation,  in  the 
midst  of  which  many  of  these  poor  creatures  become  the 
prey  of  their  murderous  robbers.  It  is  furnished  by  W. 
Johnson,  superintendant  of  Regent’s  I’own,  dated  May  21, 
1821.  “ On  Thursday'  morning  I was  informed  that  the 

slaves  and  vessel  were  condemned  by  the  court.  The  de- 
scription was  then  taken;  after  which  219  slaves  were  de- 
livered to  me.  I cannot  describe  the  scene  which  occurred 
when  we  arrived  at  Regent’s  Town.  I have  seen  many  ne- 
groes landed,  but  never  beheld  such  an  affecting  sight.  As 
soon  as  we  came  in  sight,  all  the  people  came  out  of  their 
houses  towards  the  road  to  meet  us,  with  the  greatest  acclu- 


69 


mations.  When  they  beheld  the  new  people  weak  and  faint, 
they  carried  and  led  them  up  towards  my  house.  After  they 
had  laid  themselves  on  the  ground,  being  quite  exhausted  ; 
many  of  our  people  recognized  their  friends  and  relations, 
and  there  was  a general  cry,  ‘ O master  ! my  sister ! my 
brother  ! my  countryman  ! he  lived  in  the  same  town ! my 
countrywoman  !’  &c.  The  poor  creatures  being  faint,  just 
taken  out  of  the  hold  of  a slave  vessel,  and  unconscious  of 
what  had  befallen  them,  did  not  know  whether  they  should 
laugh  or  cry,  when  they  beheld  the  countenances  of  those 
whom  they  had  supposed  long  dead,  but  now  saw  clothed 
and  clean,  and  perhaps  with  healthy  children  in  their  arms. 
In  short  I cannot  describe  the  scene  ; it  was  too  affecting  ; 
no  one  could  refrain  from  shedding  tears,  and  lifting  up  the 
heart  in  prayer  and  praise  to  the  wonder-working  God,  whose- 
ways  are  in  the  deep.  The  school  boys  and  girls  brought  the 
victuals  which  they  had  prepared  ; and  all  the  people  follow- 
ing their  example  ran  to  their  homes,  and  brought  what  they 
had  got  ready  ; and  in  a short  time  their  unfortunate  country- 
men were  overpowered  with  messes  of  every  description, 
such  as  they  had  not  been  accustomed  to  for  a long  time.” 
p.  346. 


THE  END. 


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